Into the Dark
by No1KnowsIWriteFanfics
Summary: When Marshall Lee's title as Vampire King is threatened, Fionna finds herself thrown into a world of intricate plots and vampire politics. Fionna knows nothing about vampires except that they're rarely good. But Marshall Lee is… right?
1. Balance

_(A/N: I typically don't write fanfics, so this is a new experience to me. This is kind-of my own take on Adventure Time, and I may have a few details wrong. If so, forgive me. If people like the story, I'll continue it, so leave me a review! I already know where I want the story to go, it's just a matter of writing it. Of course, Adventure Time belongs to the fantastic Pendleton Ward and Cartoon Network.)_

BALANCE

Somewhere in the Land of Aaa, there exists a Dark Forest. Should you ever find yourself lost in those deep woods, there is a good chance you'd never find your way out. Now, it was never easy getting to that area in the first place, and the Keep Out and Danger signs should be enough to steer away any sane person. Even before that, you'd have to pass the Candy Kingdom (which would be a much nicer place to stay, don't you think?), the Grasslands (where you'd find a very radical treehouse, thankyouverymuch), and the Hole in the Center of the World (which wasn't REALLY bottomless, according to rumor). If none of those locations caught your attention, you'd discover yourself in the eeriest forest outside of the Nightosphere.

Currently, there was a young human girl lost in the Dark Forest, shoving her way through the thick branches, crushing dead leaves beneath her black shoes, and grumbling because she was covered, head to toe, in troll goo.

How long had she been out there anyway? It had been afternoon when she had chased the massive troll into these woods, hesitating only briefly before rushing in, sword blazing. The troll had stolen a treasured document from the Hot Dog Prince, and it was her duty as professional adventurer to retrieve it. Which she did, but not before the troll exploded into a gooey mess deep within the Dark Forest.

She paused and held her arms out to her side. The motion made a sickening sticky squish, and she was reminded of the time she spilled waffle syrup on her shirt. With a sigh, she looked upwards. It was late and dark out. What little light existed from the waxing crescent moon was shaded by the thick overhanging of dead branches, casting the area into darkness. A time or two as she traveled, she swore she caught red glowing eyes peering at her behind trees or in the bushes. The feeling was shrugged off. Whatever, she was an adventurer. Bring it on, creepers, and she'd just hack you to pieces.

Rubbing her hands on the clean parts of her skirt, she reached inside her backpack and retrieved the treasured document of the Hot Dog Kingdom. Scanning over the elaborate, gold-printed paper, she realized it was the official guest list of the Annual Hot Dog Ball, along with the addresses of each resident invited. She risked her life for this?

If she had been someone else, someone on high alert because of her surroundings, she may have spotted the two eyes watching her every move carefully in the darkness. Then again, the eyes belonged to a master predator, and even if a lost little human had been listening for any motions in the forest, it would be unlikely the creature would be detected.

While the girl scanned over the guest list on the paper, seeing if anyone she knew was invited, a dark shape moved silently toward her, its face contorted into something straight out of a nightmare. The sudden drop in temperature made Fionna's gaze lift up just in time to see a large monstrosity of a creature, all sharp teeth and blood red eyes, rushing toward her.

She shrieked loudly, clutching the guest list against her sticky body with one hand and reaching for her sword with the other. Glob it, where was her sword?! Her hands were shaking, and she couldn't find it. She could ALWAYS find her sword.

The creature stopped right in front of her face, staring right into her terrified eyes like it was gloating in its success, and just when she knew the creature was going to open that razor-like maw and devour her whole, its face shifted, bones twisting in a manner that she had seen before. The red eyes dulled to an eerie black, the form crackling and snapping back into something more humanoid and familiar. Laughter erupted from the creature before it was completely finished transforming. "Your face, Fi!" the pale being stated between laughs.

"Marshall!" she shouted in indignation, and he barely had time to dodge the fist that headed his way.

She glared daggers into him, stomping one foot in frustration as he floated a few feet ahead of her, just out of her reach. His axe bass was carried on his back, the strap crinkling his red plaid shirt. "That wasn't funny," she stated.

"Lighten up, that was hilarious."

Frowning, Fionna pried the prized documents from her sticky body, horrified when she saw some of the names and addresses were smeared. Not wanting to damage the paper any further, she twisted it up and shoved it in her backpack.

Sensing it was safer to approach the last human in Aaa, Marshall took his bass and began playing a few melodic notes on it, drifting closer to the girl. "So what's a little hero like you doing in the Forest of Death?"

"Important mission from the Hot Dog Kingdom." She straightened the ears of her bunny hat and began her trek through the woods again.

Marshall kept up with her stride, floating beside her as his fingers traveled over the strings of his guitar. "There are lots of dangerous creatures in these woods."

Fionna hoisted the backpack higher on her shoulder and glanced over to him. "Friends of yours?" There was no hint of sarcasm in her voice; just simple curiosity.

"Nah, don't know 'em."

She wasn't sure she wanted to meet the creatures even if he did know them. Marshall Lee did not keep the best of company.

"It's not dangerous for an Adventurer like me." she commented. "I slay monsters on a regular basis."

He smirked, and she could tell he was resisting the urge to mock what he considered her goody-two-shoes heroic side.

"You were traveling in these woods alone," she pointed out.

He raised one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. "I'm the Vampire King," was his answer.

It struck her as funny because she had never met another vampire in her life. She wondered where his kingdom was, if he really had any authority over the other vampires, or if it was just a title.

When it came to Marshall's pranks and morbid sense of humor, the citizens of Aaa were divided. Some of the people saw the vampire's arrival as a threat. He was an undead, a bloodsucker, and they were convinced that if given a chance, he would sneak into their houses at night and drain them of blood. Everyone else saw his spooky pranks for what they really were- Nothing more than harmless jokes, like a haunted house on Halloween. So used to the pastel colors of Aaa and the monotony, the Vampire King's taboo style and morbid rock music was a thrill that they craved, and he was a popular party guest in many of the kingdoms. Although these citizens liked him, they still kept him at a safe distance. Because try as they may, they still had trouble fully trusting him. It was one thing to respect the Vampire King; it was another to be friends with him.

Marshall Lee had been one of Fionna's best friend for five years now, and she was accustomed to his mischievous prankster side. As far as vampires go, he could actually be really cool when he wanted to be. And she trusted him.

They walked in silence for a while. The music he played was calming her nerves, causing her mind to dull as she focused on the path ahead of her and enjoyed his music. Even the biggest Marshall-haters in the Land of Aaa had to admit he was musically talented, and Fionna was inclined to agree. Some of her favorite outtings included him playing his newest song for her atop a grassy hill.

After a while, Marshall asked, "Where's the furball? Did she decide not to tag along for this adventure?" He suddenly glanced down at her, amusement lighting up his eyes. "Or did she get scared of the dark?"

Cake could be called many things, but a scaredy cat was not one of them. Fionna and Cake had battled sand beasts and underworld skeletons and crazy candy people who drooled sprinkled frosting. The duo had bravely towered over some of the biggest threats in the land without once flinching and come out on top. However, when brought face to face with a live vampire, Cake was reduced to a terrified mess. After knowing the vampire for a few years, she gradually started to warm up to him, but Marshall Lee still loved frightening the cat whenever he was given a chance.

Fionna kicked a rock ahead of her, and it skidded to a halt against a distant tree. "On a weekend date with Lord Monochromicorn. I've got the next three days to myself." She blew the bangs out of her face with an over exaggerated sigh. "Ice Queen's been eerily quiet, and it's been kinda slow on the adventuring side, so I had to go look for something to do." Truth be told, she was starting to regret it. This walk back home was becoming more trouble than it was worth. "What were you doing in the Dark Forest?" she asked.

He placed his bass around to his back and moved to hover upright next to her, hands in his skinny jean pockets. "Just practicing a bit. I needed inspiration for my next concert."

"Wicked place for inspiration, dude."

He grinned, shrugging. "What can I say? I have a reputation to maintain."

A branch snapping in the forest caught her attention, and she stopped in her tracks and listened. Silence. "What was that?" she asked, a note of caution creeping into her voice.

When he didn't answer, Fionna looked up at him.

Marshall Lee's eyes were no longer on her. His expression was intense, and he had his narrowed gaze locked on something she obviously couldn't see with her human eyes. A chill ran over her skin, goosebumps traveling over her arms. One hand reached behind her back to clutch at her sword in case whatever THAT was wasn't friendly. She followed his gaze, seeing nothing in the surrounding forest. The thick trees were silent and still. Her eyes returned to him.

"Marshall?" she ventured softly. No answer. Her foot took one cautious step toward him…

And just like that, the spell broke. Fionna was back in the Dark Forest with her vampire bud, and somehow, the area was less dangerous. He glanced down to her, and she could suddenly breathe again. "Yeah, Fi?"

Crossing her arms over her chest to calm her nerves, she stated, "I want to get out of this forest."

He ran his fingers through his ink-black hair. "Yeah. I think I do too, man." His feet touched the ground next to her, and he said, "I'm over it."

Fionna took the hint and, gathering up her resolve because flying was an uniquely exhilarating experience, wrapped her arms around his neck. His hand went under her knees to lift her bridal-style, and she had just enough time to clutch onto his plaid shirt before they were lifted up.

The gust of air tangled against her hair and took her breath away as they climbed higher. They moved fast through the tree limbs with Marshall somehow managing to dodge each obstacle in his path. "Hold on, kid," he stated, and she obediently closed her eyes, tightening her grip around his neck. In an instant, they burst free of the forest, snapping the thin branches near the treetops and soaring into the open skies.

Sensing it was safe, Fionna turned to look down at the Dark Forest fading into the distance. She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and leaned her head against Marshall's shoulder. The coolness of his skin was noticeable even through the layers of clothing he was wearing. This, combined with the chill of the night air, caused a shiver to flutter over her body.

Marshall Lee glanced down at her, noticing the way the gunk from her clothing was getting all over his favorite clothes. "Geez, you smell like a troll vomited its guts on you. No wonder a monster hasn't devoured you yet."

Her face turned a delightful shade of red, and Marshall couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or annoyance. "Only cause I was fighting the bad guy and saving the day. You could have helped, dude."

"Nope. A piece of fancy paper isn't worth ruining my stylin' clothes over."

But carrying her home was?

She dropped the subject and instead focused on the excitement of traveling the undead way. After all these years, she thought she would have been used to it. Her heart raced in her chest as she cherished the way the world raced by her, the breeze whipping lightly over her face. It was different from all the times she rode on Cake's back when the cat grew to an impossible size. This time, she was suspended; she felt light, like she would never touch the ground again, and she knew then why Marshall Lee rarely walked.

At the same time, flight could also be a bit frightening. When Marshall took a sudden dive downward for no other reason than to switch direction, Fionna let out a gasp and clutched his neck tighter. It was easy to see why some Aaa citizens baulked at the whole concept of air travel. As for Fionna herself, her only fear was water…

And with that thought, she realized they were flying over a large open lake. Of course. Something inside her snapped, and she panicked. Staring in horror at the waters beneath them, she blindly began grasping for anything she could get her hands on- the neck of his axe-bass, for example, or the collar of his shirt.

"Relax, Fionna, I've got you," Marshall said, struggling to keep hold of the wiggling adventuress in his arms. When one of her hands grabbed one of his rather sensitive pointed ears and tugged it roughly, he let out a snake-like hiss and let her body drop, catching hold of both her hands before she plummeted to the lake below.

With wide, panicked eyes, she stared up at the floating boy above her, who looked a little too self-satisfied about their current predicament. "You do need a bath, Fi," he stated. "I'd be doing you a favor."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" he grinned, giving her a glimpse of one fang against his lip.

She scrunched up her nose and glared harder, promising in her head an assortment of cruel and unusual punishments if he let her slip a fraction of an inch further.

Pulling her up into the air, he easily brought one hand under her knees and the other behind her back and caught her effortlessly.

Even after landing in the safety of his arms, her glare didn't lighten up. "You suck, Marshall Lee."

"Duh. Vampire."

With a roll of the eyes, she turned to see where they were headed. Over the horizon, the dim lights of the Candy Kingdom glowed, casting the surrounding sky in a tint of cotton candy pink. It was a direct contrast to the dark, dangerous forest they had just emerged from- The world that Marshall felt so comfortable in. With a sigh, she once again leaned her head against his shoulder and stared at the beauty of the kingdom in the distance where her other royal friend lived. It was late, so Gumball would be asleep already. His empire was so powerful and obvious. Yet again, she wondered where Marshall's kingdom was.

She turned her head back to the undead teen, taking in his face in the light of the moon. A few weeks ago, she had been at one of his rock concerts and heard a few of the wilder demon girls talking about how attractive he was and how they would loooovee to take him home. It would be a lie if Fionna said that she didn't get some small enjoyment at their surprised faces when Marshall walked up to her after the show to asked if she wanted to go chill for a while.

Looking at the thin slope of his nose, the curve of his cheekbones, and the forever youthful features of his face, she admitted that they were right; Marshall Lee was an attractive guy. And then, as though betrayed by her thoughts, a deep blush highlighted her face, and she ducked her head so he wouldn't notice.

This time, her eyes caught the two deep scar bitemarks on the side of his neck. After all their time together, he had never once told her how he got those scars. Was he born a vampire, and those were just wounds from a battle with another vampire? Or was he changed? If he was changed, what was he before, and how did his mom fit into the equation?

Maybe one day she'd just straight up ask him.

Before long, Marshall landed effortlessly at her front door and sat the young adventuress' feet onto the ground. She scooted her dark blue miniskirt further down her thighs where it had ridden up during the flight before standing straight. "Thanks, Marshall."

"Not a problem." He crossed his arms over his chest. The attempt to look cool and nonchalant failed slightly due to the faint stains across the front of his shirt. "If you're looking for something to do tomorrow, you could swing by my place. We could play some music, smash some pixies, terrorize Gumball. I don't have any plans."

"Sounds algebraic, dude. I'll have to see if the Ice Queen will give me a day off first though." Tomorrow was a Monday. Ice Queen loooved kidnapping princes on Mondays.

As Fionna stepped into her house and started to close the door, a red tennis shoe blocked the way. Surprised, she looked up to see Marshall still standing in the doorframe, appearing oddly serious.

"Hey, Fi?" Was that a hint of concern she registered in his voice? Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Don't go into the Dark Forest alone again, okay?"

Before she could answer, Marshall floated into the air and winked at her, back to his normal self. He raised two fingers in the eternal "rock on" gesture, and flew backwards into the sky.

For a moment, Fionna didn't move from her spot in the doorway. What was that about? It occurred to her that maybe Marshall had stuck with her in the Forest because there was something dangerous out there. With a huff, she slammed the front door shut. She was Fionna the Human, Adventuress and Heroine of Aaa! She could take care of herself.

**_Next Chapter: Horror Movie Interlude_**


	2. Horror Movie Interlude

_(A/N: Not a lot happens here, but it'll all tie together in the end, methinks. Got an exciting Adventure-filled chapter coming up next too. As always, leave a review. 3 )_

**Horror Movie Interlude**

It was afternoon when Fionna stepped into the cave where Marshall Lee lived. The setting sun cast his white, oddly suburban house in a warm orange glow from the cave's entrance. The picket fence gate squeaked in protest as she stepped onto his grassy lawn. For a night-dwelling vampire, he kept the plant life in his front yard neatly cut and healthy. Which was odd, considering she had never seen him tend to the plants.

She knocked on his front door and waited for him to respond. Silence. She tried again, this time pounding louder. "Marshall?" There was a faint echo inside the cave, but besides that, nothing.

Okay then. Stepping around to the side porch, she tried again there and peered hopefully in the door window. The lights were out in his house, but that wasn't anything unusual. He was a vampire, for glob's sake. He liked the dark.

Feeling a bit discouraged, but not really wanting to walk back home, she twisted at the doorknob and was surprised when it gave way. Of course his door was unlocked. Who would have the guts to enter the lair of the vampire king anyway? His name alone would be enough to deter any intruders.

Fionna stepped cautiously into his kitchen, feeling a bit apprehensive. "Marshall? Are you home?" It was still light out. Unless he carried an umbrella or something to shade him from the sun, he had to be home.

She moved silently through the house, resisting the urge to turn on the lights and feeling a bit weird about entering his home without his direct permission. He did invite her over the night before, so that was like an indirect invitation at least. It was this thought that allowed her to shove down feeling of wrongness and climb the ladder into his room.

The windows had been completely blocked out, casting the bedroom into darkness. She squinted as her eyes adjusted, seeing his axe bass propped up against his chair and various music sheets scattered over the desk. At the sight of the body stretched haphazardly over the bed, Fionna strode over to him and smirked fondly at Marshall Lee's sleeping form.

He was still wearing his pants from the previous night, but his plaid shirt had been replaced with a light grey tank top. A pair of headphones covered his pointed ears, attached to a cassette player that rested on his chest. That explained why he didn't hear her enter or call his name. Fionna could honestly say that she had never seen Marshall look so normal and, well… innocent. It just wasn't a word you could use to describe the thousand year old teenager. His dark hair hung over his closed eyes, and his mouth was open slightly. One arm was spread out on the sheets while the other lightly grasped the cassette player.

Fionna found herself wanting to brush the bangs out of his face or, for whatever reason, touch his cheek. So she did the next best thing without compromising any emotions. She reached one finger out and poked his face.

The reaction happened so fast that Fionna didn't have time to register what was going on. A hand was tightly around her throat, and she was carried roughly into the air toward the ceiling, a hissing face near her ear. Her back pressed against the wall, her feet dangling helplessly, she clutched at the hand around her neck to get it to loosen its grip, but it had the opposite effect. She wanted to scream or say his name- something to get him to stop and come to his senses, but she couldn't find her voice. Black spots were dancing in her vision…

Then the grip around her throat loosened, and the voice near her ear muttered, "Fionna?" He backed away to look her in the face, his eyes wide and surprised and his mouth hanging open in shock. Silently, he glided to the floor and let her go. Seeing her cough as she struggled to take deep breaths of glorious air, Marshall closed his mouth and gritted his teeth together, the look of surprise never leaving his face.

Once Fionna could breathe again without falling into a coughing fit, she raised her watery eyes to meet his. "I uh… wanted to see if you wanted to hang out."

If vampires had the ability to blush in embarrassment, Marshall would have been turning all shades of red. Instead, he simply said, "You scared me."

Fionna raised her eyebrows and clutched at the straps of her backpack. "I scared you?"

Not knowing what to say, Marshall dragged his fingers through his hair, turned on heel and walked- not flew - to pick up the cassette player and headphones that were strewn on the floor. He tossed them on the bed, then turned to face the adventuress again. "You okay?" He winced when he spoke the words, as though it was a not a question he asked often.

Fionna waved a hand in the air, shrugging it off for the sake of her friend. "Yeah, I'm all good. The Ice Queen's given me worse. I'm almost disappointed."

He knew she was exaggerating, but he gave her a small grin nonetheless. "Want some breakfast?"

"That sounds great. I'm starving."

His feet left the floor, and he glided backwards down into the living room. Fionna followed and quickly descended down the ladder.

Nearly all the foods in Marshall Lee's refrigerator was red due to his admittedly odd diet. "Whatcha want?" he asked, peering into the lighted insides of his fridge. "I've got strawberries, apples, cherries, cherry soda…"

Fionna scooted under his arm to take a look for herself, not happy with his suggestions.

"I think you left some cereal here last time," he offered.

"Oh, yeah…" And with that, she vanished from her spot next to him.

Marshall tossed a few cherries and strawberries into a bowl for himself as Fionna fixed her cereal, then the two of them sat at the rarely-used dining table.

"So what's the plan today," she asked around a mouthful of cinnamon cereal.

Marshall Lee tilted his chair back until it was standing on its two back legs. Fionna was convinced he was using his levitation powers to keep it from falling back. "I dunno," he answered. "Want to prank some of the Candy people?"

Although that was his specialty, Fionna felt guilty whenever she tagged along. "Nah. I think I need a relaxing day for once."

"A movie then? I've got a killer movie collection."

She thought about it, chewing slowly on her cereal, before nodding in a sudden decision. "Okay then, movie. Something scary with lots of mathematical action scenes."

"Hey, that's my favorite kind."

Fionna couldn't get her mind off of the events of the evening. It was the first time she had seen Marshall lose control like that. It wasn't like him. Usually, he was the laid-back, chill vampire that kept a careful check on an inherited evil nature. Before that day, she didn't even think it was possible to scare him. She thought back to the weird occurrence in the forest and that odd, threatening glare he was sending into the woods.

Deep in thought, she stared as Marshall dropped a cherry in his mouth, then retrieved it with the color drained and the stem tied into a knot. Sensing her gaze, he glanced up, the grey knotted cherry still dangling in his fingers. "What?"

"You okay?"

One eyebrow rose. "Yeah, why?"

"You just seem kinda… I dunno, on edge or something."

The master of dodging anything drama-related, Marshall simply responded, "Oh, Fionna. When will you learn? I'm always more than good."

She snorted a laugh in a very unlady-like manner. "Sure, whatever, dude."

After finishing their afternoon breakfast, the two searched through Marshall's video tapes and dvds in the cabinet of his living room. "Pft, this is hardly what I'd consider a killer movie collection," she complained. "I've already seen all of these."

"I can't help that you haunt my house to watch my movies." But he liked it nonetheless and motioned for her to follow him across the room.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"You think I'm going to let someone by unimpressed with my movie collection?" He grabbed her hands and floated her up into his attic.

Now, in all the times that the two had spent together, Fionna had not once been into his attic. She had once hidden in his closet without him knowing, shattered the window to his bathroom when playing rock baseball with Cake, and accidentally set loose a plague of mud frogs in his basement. But until that point, his attic had been a mystery that she had never really considered until that moment.

Even after he turned on the solitary light bulb in the middle of the room, the area was still dim and shaded in shadow. Dust hung onto the light surrounding the bulb and covered the boxes, abandoned lamps, and desks.

"How long has it been since you were up here?" she asked.

"A while." He blew the dust off of one of the boxes to reveal a label that said, "Vinyl Collection," then pushed it over to the side and moved to the next one. "I never really have much of a reason to."

A flowery, poofy-sleeved granny dress covered in a protective plastic caught her eyes, and she grabbed it from the nail in the wall and held it up to her body. "Evening wear, Marshall Lee?" she asked, posing dramatically.

He laughed, then said, "Nah, that belonged to the old lady that used to live here."

Fionna stopped, a frown curving the edges of her lips. "A lady used to live in this cave?"

The subject was dismissed with a raise of his shoulders. "There wasn't always a cave here."

"Oh." Her bottom lip stuck out thoughtfully as she placed the dress back on the nail, then her attention turned to the many boxes that littered the room. Each was labeled with a black marker- "Blankets," "Blackmail," "Concert Tickets"… "Is all of this yours?" she inquired, eyeing a box labeled with the alien word "Earth."

"Most of it, yeah."

She knelt down next to him to watch as he sorted through his belongings. One particular label caught her attention, and she asked, "Why do you have a box full of bottled souls?"

"Oh, that?" He pulled a rounded glass jar from the box and held it up. Something akin to the fog on a lake of water or warm breath in the middle of the winter sparkled in the jar, twisting its shape around. It could have been her imagination, but at the sight of Marshall Lee on the other side of the glass, the white smoke moved to the other side of the jar. "It's all the people that have angered me in the past. They tried to get to me, I got their souls."

"Marshall!" she exclaimed in shock, adding a rough punch to his arm for emphasis.

Indignantly, he rubbed the spot where she had hit him and responded, "Relax, I was just kidding."

But she wasn't convinced that he was, and she thought to herself that sometimes, Marshall Lee was a bit too much like his mom for comfort. Of course, she would never, ever mention this because she didn't want to become a collected soul in a jar herself.

"A-ha!" Marshall announced proudly, dragging out a partially torn box from underneath a dust-covered piano. "Make your pick, oh, Heroine of Aaa."

Most of the video tapes it contained were ancient- older than she had ever seen. The covers were fading, turning a pale sepia tone, and a few of the plastic cases looked brittle. "Where did these come from?" she asked, a bit in awe.

"Here and there."

"They're old."

"Doesn't mean they're not good."

One video caught her eye, and she removed it from the box gingerly. She stared at the cover, feelings a shock hit her stomach and travel over her limbs. Humans… This movie was about humans. They littered the cover, blondes and brunettes and redheads with all sorts of skin tones. How long ago was this made?

Fionna licked her lips, feeling like her tongue was thick, and stated, "I want to watch this one."

Apparently reading her thoughts, he raised one shoulder, feeling uncomfortable, and answered, "That movie sucks, Fi."

"I don't care. I want this one."

"Are you sure you don't…"

One hand lightly landed on his wrist, interrupting him. He stared down at her wide blue eyes that were threatening oncoming emotions as she said softly, "Please, Marshall?"

Dammit. With a sigh, he dragged his fingers through his hair and floated upwards. "Fine. Come on, adventuress." She took his offered hand, and he pulled her to her feet.

On their way back to the living room, she asked, "What's this movie about?"

Marshall Lee didn't look at her as he replied, "Vampires."

Now, there were a few things Fionna learned immediately from Marshall Lee's movie: 1) Humanity really had no idea what vampires looked or acted like. And 2) Most of the human beings on the film were cowards that had no idea how to defend themselves.

This did not please the heroine.

They were a quarter of the way through the film, curled up on Marshall's couch, and Fionna was full of questions. 'Are vampires really supposed to sleep in coffins?' 'Those vampires really just look like pale humans. That's silly. Could they not hire vampire actors?'

But then things shifted, and the movie started to get darker. People began screaming for their lives. Good characters raised their arms to fight, but were easily defeated. Blood began spilling on screen- red splashes running down wooden floors. It was so different from the horror films of Aaa, which featured corny monsters attacking creatures made of candy. Those were things she faced every day in real life; she could defeat those demons. This film was a different animal, with clever beings that plotted against the heroes and betrayed them. She was watching her extinct people get massacred by bloodthirsty demons. The reds that flashed across the screen were warning signals in her brain that made her queasy.

Nervously, Fionna glanced up at Marshall, who was reclined back in the chair with one hand casually over the back of the couch, seemingly amused by the over-exaggerated vampires on screen. The bunny-eared teen scooted closer to him and wrapped his arm her shoulders. His eyes landed on her in slight surprise, wondering if he had finally found a movie that could give the young girl nightmares, and he asked, "Is the Fearless Adventurer scared of an old horror film?"

"No," she answered, but a vampire attacked someone on screen. She let out a squeak and half-way buried her face in his chest while the other hand clutched his shirt for protection. If she caught onto the irony of the situation, she didn't show it.

"I could stop the film, if you'd like," he offered half teasingly.

"No, I'm not scared."

A hundred pranks to terrify her in her current state ran through his mind, ways to morph or shift or scare because it was one of the most natural things in the world to him. And then, as she placed her bunny-eared head against his shoulder, her warm body and racing heart pressed against his side, he decided that he preferred this better and shifted slightly to get more comfortable in that position.

One of the vampires on screen grabbed a human girl and jerked her into the air. Her screams pierced through Marshall's living room as the victim's friend arrived a moment too late.

The girl's blood splattered across her friend's face…

Such bright shades of red…

Like strawberries or apples or something harder to get and more valuable.

Marshall Lee blinked that thought away. This movie really did suck.

But as his cheek rested against his terrified partner's head, he also thought it was worth it in many ways.  
******************************

"Marshall?"

"Hmm?"

"Do other vampires drink blood?"

The end credits had been rolling on the screen for a while, and the two still remained in their position on the couch.

Marshall shrugged. "Some do."

"You don't." She knew he didn't, but for some reason, the statement sounded like a question.

"Nah, the color works just fine for me."

She bit her lip slightly, not sure if she should even ask the next question. "Do you ever want to?"

Eyebrows drawing together slightly, he looked down to see Fionna staring up at him with those large, innocent blue eyes of hers; the eyes of a little lost naïve girl who thought she was a hero. The question threw him off guard. Why in the world would she ask that? Was it the movie that brought it on? Or because of his reaction when she woke him up? At that thought, his stomach dropped and guilt washed over him. Didn't she know not to wake up a vampire suddenly? It was common knowledge.

There were many ways to answer her question; lies and half truths and- his personal favorite- exaggerations. But this was Fionna, and it was somehow different. He forced a smile abruptly on his face and tugged on the ears of her bunny hat. "Only when little lost heroines ask too many questions," he replied simply.

"Hey!" But her exclamation was half hearted, and he poked at her side teasingly.

A half-growl, half laugh escaped her, and she retaliated by smacking his hand away.

The next thing she knew, her hat was jerked off of her head, and her golden hair tumbled down around her shoulders. "You butt!" she exclaimed, diving for the hat that was suspended outside of her reach.

"So I've got this suspicion," the vampire said, stretching to keep the prized bunny ears out of the human's reach, "that this hat is the source of all your heroic human powers."

"Need an excuse for when I kicked your butt last time we fought, Vampire King?"

"Hah, I took it easy on you so I wouldn't break your fragile mortal body!"

Wrestling his arm out of the way, Fionna managed to climb onto his chest, her knee jabbing into his stomach, and stretched out to retrieve the prize. Seeing that she was just about to win, Marshall tossed the hat to the opposite corner of the room.

A comedic sounding growl of frustration escaped the human teen, and she leapt over both him and the back of the couch, focused intently on her goal. Planning for this to occur, Marshall managed to grab her ankle at just the right moment so she faceplanted into the floor. By the time she scrambled to her feet, the vampire king was in front of her, smirking as he blocked her pathway to the hat.

Smiling mischievously in a way that would put Marshall Lee to shame, she eyed her opponent, looking for a sign of weakness. They were at a standoff, both knowing that the first person to move would be at a disadvantage. However, Fionna had never been a subtle person, so she decided the best way to get out of this predicament would be to do a head-on attack full of force. The momentum of her charge knocked both of them back onto the floor, this time with Fionna pinning her partner down. Her eyes lifted to her goal in the corner of the room before dropping down to look at her opponent as if she didn't know what to do with the Vampire King now that she had him.

Her blonde hair formed a veil around his head, and he blew a stray lock out of his face. "Why don't you go get that?" he questioned, a mischievous spark in his eye.

She scrunched up her nose and stuck out her tongue at him, but she was also considering it. It was the only thing she could do.

Then, without warning, she found herself being lifted into the air as Marshall began floating upwards. "No fair!" she whined.

"Just because you can't use your awesome hat powers doesn't mean I can't use mine."

Her bottom lip stuck out in an exaggerated fashion as she contemplated her current predicament. Both of them were hovering about half way in the middle of the room. Then, figuring it was her only chance, she managed to roll off the floating Marshall Lee, land on the floor in a very unladylike fashion, and dove for the white bunny ears in the corner. Her hand curled around the soft fabric, and she held the item up proudly, doing a short, happy victory dance. "In yo' face, Vampire King!"

Marshall was hovering upside down, watching the Adventuress revel in her success. "Only cause I let you win."

Placing the bunny hat back on her head, she replied with a smile, "You're such a sore loser, Marshall."

One corner of his lip curved in a sly almost-smile. "Yeah, whatev."

She giggled as she retrieved her trademark green backpack from beside the couch. "I need to head home. It's getting late."

"The night's just begun."

"I'm not a nocturnal bat like you, Marsh." She walked over to her friend as he floated upright and gave him a quick kiss on his blueish-grey cheek. "I'll see you later, k? Maybe you, me, and Cake can go adventuring soon."

At the mention of Fionna's sister, Marshall snorted a laugh, already planning a variety of vicious pranks for the white and tan cat. Reading his thoughts, she sent a half-hearted glare his way as if it would discourage him.

When she flung open the front door to leave, she hesitated in the doorframe. The darkness outside loomed closer to her, hiding in it all manner of movie monsters that attacked young Heroines. She swallowed nervously.

"You're seriously not freaked out by that movie, are you?" Marshall Lee commented from somewhere behind her.

She turned around to pout at the hovering vampire and let out a petulant, "No."

Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back in the air like he was reclining on an invisible chair. "You do realize I'm a vampire, don't you?"

"Yeah, but you're not like a scary, bloodthirsty one."

Marshall Lee, master of the night, son of the ruler of the Nightosphere, the shape shifting, fire breathing, thousand year old Vampire King that once killed a Queen to get his title, raised one eyebrow, feeling the powerful blow to his ego.

The next thing she knew, she was looking at a large, snarling wolf monster with sharp, dripping fangs. The sight didn't even earn a blink from the girl, and she patted its growling, furred cheek in a motherly "You lost the spelling bee, son, but you'll always be first in my heart" sort of way. "Okay, that was a lie," she commented with honesty. "I know lots of people that are terrified of you. But you're my friend, so it kind-of nullifies it, you know?"

Semi-satisfied with the response, he shifted back into his true form, a deadpan, slightly annoyed expression on his face.

"And anyway," Fionna continued, "I'm not scared of the movie, like I said. It's just really dark out there. It's like, new moon, no stars, pitch black dark. And I don't have a flashlight. So." She puffed out her cheeks, hoping he'd buy it. As an adventuress, she had a reputation, and she couldn't let a stupid film tarnish that reputation.

Being what he was, Marshall Lee could recognize fear easily. There was always an increase in heart rate, subtle movements of the body, and of course, the smell of fear, which he could easily pick up on. It all came with the territory of being a night creature. "I have a flashlight," he commented, knowing it was part of her ruse, but playing along nonetheless.

"Nah, I'll be fine. Just gotta get these guys used to the dark," she said, pointing to her eyeballs. "I'll see you later, Marshall." And with that, she swallowed down her wariness, turned on heel, and marched out the door and into the night.

Alone again, Marshall stared at the closed door for a while, wondering about the events of the night. Then he did something typical for him when he couldn't get his mind to rest; he went into his bedroom, picked up his bass, and wrote a song.

_**Next Chapter: Shades of Red  
**__- Which is much better than Shades of Grey. ;) _


	3. Shades of Red

_(A/N: Writing action scenes is hard, and I'm completely out of my element with it. Which is why it took me so long to publish this next chapter. That, and it's looooongg. Sorry, guys! I have a feeling you will all kill me when you reach the end of this chapter. Seriously. Reach the end of the chapter. I want to know what you think. And thank you SO MUCH for all the reviews. Wow. The reviews keep me writing. ^_^ _

_I also have a quick request for you. I'm a Marceline cosplayer, and I'm entering a Halloween costume contest. Could you send a quick vote my way? It'll only take a few clicks. You can find the link in my profile. Thank you!  
_

_And now, without further ado, the next part! Allons-y, as certain Doctors say.)_

CHAPTER 3: SHADES OF RED

It was a pleasant day in the Land of Aaa. The skies were clear save for a few clouds. A gentle breeze cooled down the summer heat. And somewhere to the North, a village of white, fluffy cloud people shrieked in horror at the sight of an angry, bloodthirsty hellbeast.

All in all, it was a fairly normal day for a certain hero.

"Hey, ugly!" Fionna screamed to said hell beast, pointing her sword in case there was any doubt who "ugly" was.

Unhappy with the interruption of its reign of terror, it raised its head and roared in annoyance. As it marching over to its new opponent, Fionna got a good look at the beast. It was mainly a skeletal form with rags as clothes (though what it was covering, she honestly didn't know) and a faint blue glow in its chest. Nothing an Adventuress couldn't handle.

"Has anyone ever told you you look like the Lich's dumber, second-rate cousin?"

Either it understood her and didn't like the insinuation, or the creature was just an angry guy in general, because it lifted up one skeletal hand and shot a blue ball of energy toward the girl. She had seen this sort of attack a hundred times before, mainly from the Ice Queen. It was second nature to do a killer leap into the air, her legs kicking out dramatically. She raised the sword in an arc above her head, and swiftly swung it downward on the skeleton's shoulder. With a great crack like a tree branch breaking, the arm severed from the shoulder and fell onto the ground, where it smoked a pale grey before fading to nothing.

Fionna's feet connected on the discs of the monster's spine, sliding for a second before she found footing. For a fleeting second, her gaze sought out her sister before realizing Cake wasn't there; she was still on her mini romantic vacation. Feeling a bit annoyed with that situation, Fionna huffed out a breath. Heroes don't take breaks for romance! To prove her point, she darted up the creatures' spine like running up an oversized stairway. Its large, boney hand reached to grab her as if she was an annoying mosquito that needed to be destroyed. With a loud battle cry that would have put a warrior princess to shame, Fionna jumped once, hitting the creature's thumb, then leapt once more till she was flying in a downward arc. Her feet connected with its head, sending a shockwave through her legs, and she used the instant momentum to plunge her sword into its skull with a loud crack. The damaged area of bone instantly began glowing a bright blue light, followed by rays of static electricity flowing from every open space in its body. With a gasp, Fionna clutched her sword and took a leap toward the ground, dodge rolling to avoid further damage to her legs.

Behind her, the creatures' blue spirit exploded from its skeletal form with a loud screech. Then, with a pitiful whine, the lifeless husk collapsed to the ground and evaporated to nothing.

A beat of silence ensued. Then the next thing Fionna knew, she was surrounded by cheering fluff people, who danced around her and flung a necklace of flowers around her neck. "Uh… Thanks guys," she said awkwardly.

"You have saved us, Mighty Fionna!" a Crowned Fluff creature announced. "We shall have a feast tonight in your honor! Won't you join us?"

Fionna could think of very few things more awkward than eating dinner amongst hundreds of tiny fluffy people, so she said, "Thanks, everyone, but I can't stay. The world won't save itself, you know."

If it could, would the War have happened all those years ago?

And so, clutching the straps of her backback, she began her trek through Aaa to locate more people to save. But the world was at peace, satisfied with just one evil monster for the day. With nothing else to do, Fionna went to the Candy Kingdom.

Now, if there was one thing Fionna liked most about the pink, frosting-coated lands, it would have to be the smell. Even outside the gates, the Candy Kingdom smelled like cotton candy or caramel or sometimes gingerbread. The young adventuress was not a girly girl, nor was she particularly fond of the color pink (unless worn by a certain prince), but the light pastel colors of the Kingdom made her happy. She could never pinpoint why, but there was always a certain peace and comfort that the area brought. It reminded her that no matter how many monsters tried to destroy the world, there would also be a ray of hope and a world that smelled of cotton candy where she would always be welcomed. And home, she learned, was a very important thing in the Land of Aaa. Especially to a human.

As Fionna made her way through the Candy Kingdom, a black and red poster hanging on the side of a building caught her eye. The colors were a bit too harsh for that particular area, so she moved closer to get a look.

"One Night Only!" the flier announced. "The Vampire King in the Rock Event of the Century! Marshall Lee and the Horror Kings with the Wake the Dead Concert. Musical Guests include Electric Shock. Tickets Sold in Advance Only. Heads will Roll. Show Up… If You Dare." To emphasize this point, a photo of Marshall Lee was printed on the page, a menacing, fanged smile on his face as he held up his Axe Bass. His eyes glowed entirely red, and electricity flowed around him, making his hair stick up at wild angles.

Fionna smiled at his theatrics. Say what you would about him, but he definitely knew how to sell a show. She'd have to buy her ticket soon… Or just ask if Marshall had any spare tickets he could give her.

Making a mental note to mention it next time he was floating around, she headed toward the impressive castle in the center of town. She had been there countless times before, and the two candy canes standing guard barely gave her a second glance. The Peppermint Maid wasn't as easy to slip by, and the red and white striped assistant held up her hand as Fionna passed. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but the Prince is busy this evening."

"Oh, he won't mind. He probably needs a break anyway."

"But, Ma'am, he is working on a highly sensitive scientific equation, and distractions are strictly prohibited."

"Science-y stuff? I can help with that. Like, hold beakers and be a guinea pig and all that. Thanks for the info, Pepper. See ya later!"

And that was enough to get passed the dumbfounded maid, who had been around long enough to know that there were few things she could do to stop the young adventuress.

Now, if Gumball were working on science-y stuff, he'd most likely be in two places: Either his room, where he often went to concentrate on formulas, or, if it was something major that needed more hands-on research, the lab downstairs. Since the Peppermint Maid tried to thwart her attempts at seeing the Prince, Fionna guessed the latter.

The door to his lab was unlocked, and she stepped through the dimly lit area. As expected, Gumball was in the middle of the room, sporting his white lab coat and a pair of large goggles. He held up a large Erlenmeyer flask and a droplet, squinting as he carefully added a drop to the blue concoction, which instantly turned it purple. "Hmm…Interesting," he muttered.

Next to him was a tall, clear glass tub that came up to his chest area. A humanoid shape floated in the center of a glowing bluish-green liquid. It was too dense to truly make out the details of the figure. Unceremoniously, Gumball dumped the contents of the flask into the tub, where it poofed loudly and emitted a pale pink cloud.

"Heya, PG," Fionna announced, and the Prince jumped in surprise.

"Fionna! I didn't notice you come in. How is my favorite adventuress?"

With a sigh, the human leaned against the edge of the glass tub and rested her arms and chin on its lid. "Boooorreeed," she whined. "There are no baddies to fight, and Cake's gone on some romantic get away or something." She rolled her eyes to show what she thought of that. "I'm just about to go crazy, dude."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He lifted the goggles onto his forehead to look at his guest. "You can hang out here for a while, if you'd like. I was just working on a breakthrough experiment, and I may need an extra set of hands. It's not exactly ogre-battling or dragon-slaying excitement, but it may alleviate the boredom."

A fond smile found its way to her face at his prim and proper tone. It was the tone he had been taught since childhood. "That's cool." Her gaze wandered down to the concoction in the tub, and she asked, "Whatcha sciencin'?"

"Do you remember that experiment I did a few years ago? With creating a proper ruler? I believe I have finally worked out the bugs in the formula."

"Oh," Fionna responded.

Prince Gumball feared death. She had figured that one out long ago from his many attempts to reanimate the dead or create a successor or stave off mortality. He worried about his kingdom going to the wrong hands when he died, and that was what often fueled many of his scientific experiments.

Fionna looked down into the tub of glowing sludge thoughtfully. "Hey, PG, can I ask you a question?"

The young royal had already went back to the science equation on his nearby dry erase board. "Of course."

"You know the Rainicorn Dog Wars? Was there ever a Human Vampire War too?"

"Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

"I was hanging out with Marshall Lee the other day…"

"Not getting into too much trouble, I hope?" Gumball interrupted, glancing over to her with a raised eyebrow.

"No, we didn't even go into town. He had this movie from before the war with vampires in it, and they were killing all the humans. It was brutal."

"Ah. As far as I know, there was no war. That would be a question you'd have to ask Marshall Lee. He's been alive since then."

"Yeah…" As an afterthought, she added, "It was a really dumb movie anyway."

Gumball erased an equation on the board and replaced it with mathematical symbols that made little sense to Fionna. "I saw the fliers around town," he stated. "Will you be going to his concert?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it!"

He removed his goggles and massaged the area where they had indented his light pink skin. "I don't quite understand his concerts. It just sounds like a lot of loud noise and sweaty bodies in crowded areas. There's no logic behind it."

"You can't think of music like that. It comes from the heart and soul, and that stuff's completely not logical."

"Heart and soul, huh?" the prince mumbled, his eyes drifting slowly over to his creation. He mulled it over in his mind, then said suddenly, "Either way, I prefer things that make sense and have order. Chaos has never been appealing to me, and that's what Marshall's music sounds like."

Thinking of how hard Marshall would take that criticism if he heard it, Fionna was glad that the vampire bassist wasn't around. "You should go, PG. You may end up liking the show. Marshall's really good onstage, and it would mean a lot to him if his friends showed up."

"I don't know…"

"Come on, I'll go with you. I'll get Marshall to get us some tickets."

"Well, if I have no other plans that day, perhaps…"

Fionna leapt up excitedly and exclaimed, "Mathematical, PG, you won't regret it!"

The Prince sighed and massaged his temple. "Just… no where near the center of the crowd, okay?"

"I make no promises," she responded. "I'm a rock and roll party machine."

He rolled his eyes, already regretting the decision.

Maybe he could get out of it somehow… Get the Peppermint Maid to schedule an urgent meeting.

Even as he thought it, he knew it was too late. The deal was struck, and Fionna would not be satisfied till the Prince of the Candy Kingdom was a Mosh Pit Master.

* * *

Now, Fionna was not one to break a promise, but she was also not one to skip out on her heroine responsibilities. When these two noble characteristics clashed, she always did what felt right because she was always, first and foremost, a hero.

And if you wanted to get technical, she never really promised the Vampire King anything.

One her way back to the treehouse for the night, Fionna passed by the Dark Forest. It was evening, and the late afternoon setting sun dyed the skies a sharp shade of red and orange over the treetops. The colors silhouetted the jagged branches like clawed hands reaching skyward. It was dark and pretty, and when Fionna paused to admire the sight, the soft sound of crying caught her attention. The noise came from a nearby bush, and Fionna quickly darted over.

"Hello?" she called, pushing some branches out of the way.

There, hidden behind the leaves, was a tiny frog-like creature with a bucket strapped to his head. Thick tears poured from his eyes, and his knees were curled up close to his green body. A wheelbarrel full of apples lay on its side beside him, and the fruit surrounded his sobbing form. One apple had somehow managed to get into his bucket hat.

"Are you okay?" Fionna asked.

The creature shrieked, his eyes jumping toward the human girl.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. I heard you crying, and wanted to see if I could help." She smiled in her most trustworthy, charming way.

Swiftly swiping away a stray tear, the creature swallowed, his wide, milky eyes staring up at her. "I… I was on my way through the Forest," he said, sniffling. "It was a shortcut, my friend said. And… and then there was this monster that came from nowhere. And it just snatched up my friend… Like… Like he weighed nothing." His eyes closed, and his next words were a heartbroken wail. "And he ate him."

"Oh, whoa." She knelt beside the frog, whose full, standing form reached her waist. "I'm so sorry," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Where did the monster go? I'm a hero, I fight bad guys all the time. I can avenge your friend."

When the frog looked at her, there was fear and worry in his watery gaze. "It's terrible. I've never seen anything like it."

Fionna held up the flowery trophy around her neck. "Look, see this? This was my reward for fighting a huge skeleton monster this morning and banished him to the Nightosphere. Trust me. I can handle anything that brute can throw at me."

The frog held up a shaky hand and pointed toward a large pathway through the forest.

A Forest that happened to be very Dark and foreboding.

Hearing Marshall Lee's warning ring in her ears, Fionna stood carefully and attempted to hide the sudden nervousness that fluttered through her stomach.

"Please be careful," the frog said softly.

As proof of her abilities, Fionna clutched onto her crystal sword and twisted it around with a flick of her wrist. Then, with a confident smile, she headed down the pathway and into the dark.

It was amazing how the thick, gnarled branches blocked out what little light came from the setting sun. As she followed the path of snapped limbs, she got the distinct impression that this would not be an easy battle. The mere width between the broken branches revealed the sheer intimidating size of this monster.

_ Don't go into the Dark Forest alone again, okay?_

"Whatever, Marshall," Fionna muttered to herself. "I don't see you volunteering to save the world."

Her voice felt abnormally loud in the area, and she realized that it was very, very quiet. A shutter whispered along her spine, and she turned to look behind her. The forest swallowed the entrance altogether, casting the area into complete darkness.

Well… Okay then. No looking back now.

She put on her brave face and moved forward. "Any monsters nearby?" she called softly, mainly to calm her own nerves. "Helloooo. Big bad evil demon creature? Come and face me like a man. Or woman. Or….thing. Whatever you are."

No answer. Not like she expected there to be.

At some point, Fionna began to wonder how far she had traveled and if she would simply find herself on the opposite end of the forest altogether.

And it was at this point that she heard it.

Loud and soft at the same time, like a large creature making a low noise deep within its chest. That sound was enough to slow her movements. Cautiously, Fionna tiptoed around the corner to get a look at her opponent.

It was turned away from her, its massive body bent over something that she couldn't see. From her viewpoint, it looked like a big ball of coarse, black fur with a sharp spine emerging from its back.

Gathering her courage, Fionna pointed her sword in its direction and shouted, "Hey, ya butt! Turn around and fight me!"

The creature stood slowly, each disc of its spine cracking loudly with the movement, and turned to face her with a deep growl.

"Uh-oh," Fionna muttered.

It had to have been at least twenty foot tall at full height. Its head crushed the branches over its head, causing limbs to rain down around it. And if its sheer size wasn't formidable enough, its looks were. It had six eyes, all black like wet drops of ink. Its reptilian nose was embedded in its skull, and its bottom jaw was jutted out with numerous sharp fangs emerging from its lip. Its arms were extended to almost its ankles, with the fingertips stretching out into long, sharp claws.

The monster took one scowling look at Fionna and roared. The sound echoed through the quiet forest, and a flock of nearby birds took to the air.

Now, Fionna was not stupid. She knew when she was out of her league, and sometimes, even her noble heroic blood could be shoved aside for survival. Her foot took one half step back, and she muttered to herself, "Oh, my glob."

And with those words, Fionna -brave adventuress who had very little to fear except stupid bloody vampire movies - turned on her little black heels and ran for her life. The creature, still quite angry with the interruption, followed.

"Not cool, not cool, not cool," Fionna chanted between breaths as she leapt over tree roots, ducked beneath low hanging branches, and slid on dead leaves to make a zig-zag turn and confuse her pursuer. Of course, when your opponent was the size of a house with six beady eyes (because two would be too flippin' logical), it was hard to escape.

Unless she did something so crazy stupid, it was certain to throw the monster off its game.

So Fionna, the mistress of stupid, did a 360 and ran headfirst toward her opponent, who slowed down in surprise at the young girl's actions. She held up her sword and, with a wild battle cry, stabbed it into the creature's foot. Unfortunately, she didn't think past this point, and her actions only served to further annoy the massive beast. With his injured foot, he flung both her and her toothpick of a sword into a nearby tree.

The impact ricocheted through her body, and she gritted her teeth together and arched her back to deal with the pain. The monster knew it had won. It turned its head sideways to examine its prey, a low growl emitting from somewhere in its chest.

Now, there is a very certain sound a bass makes when it collides with an object. The sound is deep and discordant and entirely unpleasant. That specific sound was never meant to exist, and when it did exist, it meant one thing to the young adventuress.

Suddenly hopeful, Fionna's gaze landed on the vampire that hovered above the creature. His axe bass was implanted firmly into its skull, which leaked a bright red from the injury.

"Marshall Lee!" she exclaimed.

He glanced at her, raised two fingers casually, then clutched onto the neck of his bass. His red tennis shoes landed on the monster's head so he could pry the weapon away. When he did, the creature swung one arm back to get rid of the new challenger. Its hand hit Marshall directly on the chest, and he flew backwards, did a backflip in midair, and landed in a vertical crouched position against a tree trunk. With a violent smirk, Marshall slung his jagged black hair out of his dark eyes and looked up at the creature, who had his attention directed entirely to the vampire. Perfect. Marshall used his crouched position as momentum and propelled himself away from the tree, flying fast toward his target. His axe bass swung like a baseball bat, and the sharp edge connected with two of the creature's right eyes. It howled in pain and clutched onto its bleeding eye sockets. While it was distracted, Marshall landed next to Fionna.

"Man, am I glad to see you," she stated.

"No time to talk," he responded. His hand wrapped around her waist, and before she had time to brace herself, they were flying fast through the forest. She shouted his name, her hands frantically wrapping around his neck and clutching onto his grey v-neck shirt. He ignored her panicked shouts and efforts. The trees passed by in a blur, and she couldn't distinguish which direction they were heading. How could he do this and not fly headfirst into an obstacle?

They burst into a clearing, which Marshall flew swiftly over, and landed on the opposite side near a group of dense trees. He let go of the human girl, and her legs wobbled as she planted both feet firmly on the ground.

"What the hell, Fionna?" Marshall exclaimed, his dark eyes gleaming with both annoyance and worry. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Indignantly, she stuck out her bottom lip and glowered at him to preserve some of her pride. "No. Someone needed my help."

"Do you have to save everyone?"

"Yes. Of course I do!"

Her defiant glare met his unflinchingly as though daring him to say something negative about her decision. After a moment, he let out a defeated sigh and raked his fingers through his black hair. "I'll never understand heroes," he stated.

At that exact moment, the creature strode into the clearing, its damaged eyes having difficulty seeking out its prey.

Marshall exhaled deeply, glancing over to his opponent briefly before turning back to Fionna. "Okay, look, just stay here, alright? Don't move from this spot, and I'll save the day this time. Got it?"

"Uhm, okay."

He shoved his bloody axe into her hands. "And hold onto this. Don't lose it."

Fionna raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You don't need it?"

The white of his eyes evaporated like smoke till she was looking into two entirely black orbs. He smirked viciously at her. "Nope."

Dissatisfied with the sudden lack of bloodshed, the creature howled as though impatient.

"Yeah, yeah," Marshall responded, turning to face the monster. "Right back at ya, buddy." He cracked his fingers as each digit lengthened into claws. "So you wanna play like big bad monsters? I'm down with that."

With those words, jagged, leathery wings sprouted from his back and arched upward toward the sky, his arms and legs lengthened as his size grew, and his youthful face shifted into a more bat-like appearance. Fionna had seen this appearance before. He'd used it when they first met and she fought him to regain her home. But back then, it was more intimidation than anything else. This was different. Marshall rarely sought out battles, not caring enough about the citizens of Aaa to put out the effort. It had taken Fionna a while to understand it: As he had once told her, it wasn't that he was evil. After living so long, his moral code was skewed. Why should he save a complete stranger? If he didn't know them, he didn't care much for them.

Why would he save her…?

With narrowed, mocking black eyes, Marshall Lee waved one sharp-clawed hand to beckon the monster closer. His opponent took in his new size and shape, then growled deep and rushed forward with fangs bared.

"Be careful!" Fionna shouted, clutching the handle of his axe tighter for comfort.

Marshall caught the creatures' arms in his grasp, gripping hard until the creature gritted his sharp teeth together in pain. He pushed it backwards until it was taking heavy steps toward the center of a field. Then with one quick twist of his wrist, the cracking sound of breaking bones filled the area, and the creature howled in both agony and fury. It jerked its unharmed limb out of Marshall's grasp and swiped at him with its claws. The vampire moved out of range with one flap of his wings and dodged the attack. The beast quickly followed up by leaping and tackling the vampire onto the ground, its sharp teeth aiming for his jugular. Marshall Lee had been bitten once in his life, and he wasn't too keen on being bitten again, so he pressed his arm against the monster's throat to keep its snapping jaws away. Its claws managed to dig deep into Marshall's shoulder, and with gritted teeth, the undead king flung the monster off of him.

By this point, the creature was furious and full of blinding bloodlust, so it leapt up and took a run toward the vampire. Its fist connected with his stomach, and Marshall went flying back till his body connected painfully with a tree trunk.

Fionna happened to be standing nearby, and when this happened, she cried out his name. His solid black eyes landed on her briefly, and she gave him a concerned, helpless expression as though asking what she could do to help. But she couldn't get involved at this point, of course. She would just be in the way. When two very large creatures battled, it would be in a human's best interests to watch from the sidelines.

Satisfied that she wasn't hurt, Marshall Lee raised his gaze back to his opponent.

Now, from her many years of knowing the Vampire King, Fionna discovered that she could typically read his emotions from the color of his eyes. Normally, his pupil and iris were a simple, albeit eerie black. When he wanted to threaten, prank, or intimidate someone, the whites would fade to black too till his eyeballs were two dark orbs. When he was angry, his eyes would be a bright, occasionally glowing red. And when he was really, truly furious, his eyes would catch alight and burn with flames.

At that moment, Marshall was very irritated to say the least, and there was a spark within those inky depths of his gaze. "Okay," he muttered, and Fionna thought it was strange to hear his voice come from a large demon bat's body. "That actually hurt."

In an instant, Marshall was flying like a bullet toward the creature, his wings pressed against his body to give him speed. He clutched onto his opponent's throat and, with a flap of the wings, took a sudden turn upwards into the air. The two gained altitude in a tangle of wrestling limbs.

Fionna took one cautious step into the field to look up. The night sky camouflaged the two of them, and her eyes squinted to make sense of the shadowy figures in the distance. Then, with no warning, one figure separated from the other and began plummeting at a rapid speed toward the ground. For one brief, heart stopping moment, she thought it may be Marshall. This shadowed shape didn't have wings though, and it collided, feet first, onto the solid ground.

Marshall drifted downward, landing lightly in front of the creature. It had broken one leg in the fall and was struggling to stand.

With one talon-like claw, Marshall swiped at the monster's stomach, chest, and throat, and it doubled over in pain. Blood poured in thick drops over the grass, staining them a deep red.

To someone that didn't know Marshall Lee, it was often very difficult to tell he was somewhere inside his bat form's mind. But when he smiled in that cocky way he was known for, or when he tilted his head or crinkled his nose in a teasing manner, Fionna could see it. It was her best friend Marshall Lee, and he thought he had won. His opponent had a broken arm, a broken leg, and numerous injuries. And for Fionna, who saw her good friend in the bat creature, the unexpected turn in the battle was all the more horrifying.

The monster looked up at Marshall with pure hatred in its eyes. Its next move was borne out of adrenaline and desperation. It leaned back and stabbed quickly toward the vampire's chest with its uninjured hand. Its blade-like talons easily tore through flesh and bone. Marshall blinked in surprise and took a few staggering steps backwards. When his back pressed against a tree, the creature struck again, this time, shoving his sharp-clawed hand into his chest. Marshall gritted his teeth together in pain. Blood poured in rivulets down his lip. He grasped onto the monster's hand as though to feebly pry him away.

The creature's final move was a death strike. With its needle-like teeth, it tore into the vampire's throat and took away a large chunk of flesh. Marshall's eyes grew wide, the muscles in his neck working as though to breathe or swallow. And to Fionna's horror, he began transforming back to his normal form. His black fur-covered skin turned to its normal grey, and his wings shrunk into his back until they were completely gone. His small, suddenly fragile-looking body slumped against the tree and slid, lifeless, to the ground.

No, no, no, that wasn't supposed to happen. For one heart-pounding moment, Fionna didn't know what to do. Stay there? Fight? Go check on her wounded friend? So she did the only thing she knew how to do. Blinking back oncoming tears, she hefted the axe bass into a battle position and ran headfirst toward the creature. She leapt high, jumping on its knee first, then its arm, and onto its shoulder. The axe bass was heaver than it looked, especially when Marshall carried around like it weighed nothing, and it took an effort for her to lift her trembling arms and swing the axe down into the monster's neck. The injured creature was already crouched in a kneeling position. One hand touched the ground to steady itself as the other lifted slightly as though wanting to push Fionna away, but not having the energy to. One more swing of the axe brought it down entirely.

Fionna rolled from its fallen shoulder onto the ground. Tossing the axe bass away from her, she stumbled in her rush to get to her friend, regained her footing, then fell on her knees beside his unmoving form.

"Marshall Lee!" she shrieked, her voice cracking.

His once-grey shirt was torn and covered in red. Blood formed a shallow pool around him and still poured from the open wound on his neck. His eyes were wide open and unresponsive, entirely black like they had been when he was in his bat form. Fionna cupped his face in her hands as tears flooded her vision and flowed freely down her cheeks. "No, no, no, no. Don't you dare die on me, Marshall!"

She bent her ear to his face to see if she could catch his breath, and when that didn't work, her hand went to his mouth and nose. Her own breath was held as she waited, hearing her own panicked heartbeat inside her ears. Nothing. Not even a whisper of a breath. Did vampires need to breathe to live? Damn it, why didn't he ever tell her these things?

Her next move was to check his heartbeat, but one glance at his mangled neck and chest told her it would be a difficult task. His skin was so tattered and bloody that she couldn't tell where the wound ended and his flesh began. Swallowing down her nausea, she pressed her hand against his chest, and when it simply sank down past his flesh into a puddle of mangled muscles, she shrieked and jerked her hand away.

Horrified, she stared at the bright red that coated her fingers. Her chest hurt as her breaths came in short, panicked puffs. With a wail, she clutched tightly onto his shirt and rested her forehead on his shoulder. She sobbed hopelessly, tears soaked into his gray v-neck. "What do I do?!" she cried. "I don't know how to save you."

She lifted her head and stared at him, desperately running her fingers through his black hair and grasping the strands lightly. "Marshall, please!" she begged. His hollow eyes stared up at her without recognition. And, because she had no other options in her frazzled state, she pressed her lips tightly against his as though it would somehow bring him back to life. It worked in fairy tales, so it could work now, right?

But Marshall Lee was no prince charming and Fionna was no princess, and when she backed away to look at him, nothing had changed. Heat flooded her face and dyed her cheeks a bright red as she realized what she had just done. In her head, she imagined that this was all just a prank. In a few seconds, Marshall would blink, and his eyes would go back to normal. His skin would heal immediately like she had seen in the past. And he would laugh at her and tease her for her blush and actions.

And in some alternate ending to that fantasy, he would touch the back of her head and bring her lips to his in a return kiss.

But none of that happened.

Fionna brushed her fingers over his eyelids to close his eyes. As gently as possible, she put her arms beneath Marshall Lee and shakily picked him up. Her body was weak from both physical and mental exhaustion, but she didn't know what else to do, and there was only one place she knew to go to. He weighed more than expected, and she struggled to walk as she made her way through the forest. How could someone that spent his time floating weigh so much?

Fionna didn't know how she did it, but she somehow managed to carry Marshall out of the Dark Forest and made her way through the fields of Aaa. Occasionally, she would fall to one knee, take a deep breath to compose herself, and stand, trembling, to continue her journey.

The castle gates to the Candy Kingdom were a welcome change in scenery. With her destination so close, Fionna gathered the strength to pick up speed. The smell of candy was suddenly sickening, and she dodged staring eyes and whispered rumors that were sent her way. Marshall's head rolled onto her shoulder, and she glanced down at him. "Hold on, Marshall, we're almost there."

Now, the Candy Kingdom Hospital's specialty was treating Candy People, and Candy People were made of Candy Biomass, which was very different from flesh and blood. But in all of Aaa, it was the only hospital Fionna knew of. When she kicked open the doors of the large building, the entire room went silent. The receptionist, various nurses, and families of the sick all stared, wide eyed at the injured body in her arms. Blood steadily dripped onto the white tile flooring, and for a long time, no one moved. Then Fionna, annoyed with the reactions, exclaimed, "Help him, okay?"

As though a spell was broken, the staff moved to action. A stretcher quickly rolled out of the backroom, and two nurses helped place him on it. No longer carrying him, Fionna fell to her knees on the floor, her breath ragged and her arms and legs aching from the effort. Doctors and nurses swarmed around him and began checking for vital signs. They wouldn't find any, of course. Marshall was already undead, whatever that meant.

After the initial check of his condition, the staff rolled him into the backroom. Fionna jumped up and moved to follow, but Dr. IceCream stepped in front of her and held up one hand. "I'm sorry, Fionna, but you can't go back there."

"What? Why not?"

"You'll only be in the way."

She looked over the Doctor's shoulder to the door window, seeing her friend carted off into an unknown room.

For a moment, no one spoke. Then the Doctor stated, "We can't treat him here, you know."

Fionna's gaze snapped back to the talking ice cream cone. "What?! You HAVE to!"

"We don't have the proper knowledge or equipment for him. We don't treat vampires here."

Now, the adventuress had been through one hell of a day, and she had just walked miles to get there. Her head hurt, she was exhausted, and worry was making her unstable. At those words, something inside her snapped, and she clutched onto the Doctor's white uniform. "You'll treat this one, or so help me glob, I will make sure you regret it."

He nodded, eyebrows wide. "We'll see what we can do."

Semi-satisfied with that answer, she let go of his uniform, noticing then the red hand prints that were left behind. With a sigh, she stepped back a few steps and collapsed into a nearby chair in the front lobby. Her blue shirt and skirt were stained various shades of red. The colors reminded her of violence and blushing cheeks. She pulled her cell phone out of her backpack and dialed her sister's number. As the phone rang in her ear, she curled into a ball in the chair, clutching her knees to her body.

The sound of Cake's voice in the receiver was the most comforting sound in the world. "Yello?"

"Cake," Fionna said softly, her voice cracking as she fought back tears. "I need your help."

"Fionna, baby, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Can you bring a change of clothes and meet me at the Candy Kingdom Hospital?"

There was a beat of silence as the two-toned cat processed this request. "Fionna, are you hurt?"

"No." With her sleeve, Fionna roughly swiped a stray burning tear from her cheek. She swallowed, her eyes rolling toward the ceiling light to stave off the crying. "I think I just killed Marshall Lee."

_Next Chapter: Of Saints and Monsters_

_And don't forget to vote for my Marceline costume!  
_


	4. Of Saints and Monsters

_A/N: These chapters keep getting longer and longer... Thanks to everyone for the reviews! ^_^ Yes, I am evil for the last chapter. Sorry about that... but not really. Bwahaha. :)_

Chapter 4: Of Saints and Monsters

_The wallpapers in hospitals are awful_, Fionna thought, staring blankly into the distance.

She hadn't moved from her curled-up position in forty minutes. The ugly, uncomfortable hospital lobby chair made her back and neck ache, but she couldn't find the strength or resolve to move. Even though people wandered in and out of the area, no one said anything to her. They were obviously disturbed by the blood-covered clothes and scratches lining her body, but that was okay. Though typically a sociable person, Fionna preferred to be left alone at the moment.

She hadn't heard a word about Marshall's condition from any of the doctors and nurses. In fact, Dr. Ice Cream had pretty much vanished into the backrooms. Some paranoid part of her wondered if maybe they had simply thrown Marshall's unconscious body into a room and left him to die. Oh, Glob, what if she was just sitting there when Marshall was just tossed away like trash?

Okay, calm down, Fionna, she told herself. The Candy People wouldn't be that heartless. Alright, maybe some of them would, but those people didn't work in hospitals. She'd just have to trust them to do the right thing.

"Fionna, honey, I came as soon as I could!" Cake's voice shot throughout the silent lobby like an arrow, causing one nervous-looking marshmallow person to jump in fright. The cat carried with her an armful of green and white clothing.

With one long look over her adopted sister's raggedy condition, Cake's eyes grew wide, and her mouth fell open in shock. "Oh, baby, what happened?"

"Well, it was Marshall Lee…"

At the mention of their vampire friend and the sight of Fionna's blood-covered clothes, Cake's tail fluffed up and she exclaimed, "What did that vampire do? Oh, I'll kill him. I'll claw his eyes out and throw garlic at him till he won't show his face this side of the Nightosphere."

"Cake, chill, Marshall didn't do anything," Fionna explained. "I was in the Dark Forest, and some big freak of a monster attacked me. Marshall came in to help, and the monster injured him. Badly." She was silent for a moment, then she added softly, "Really badly. I'm worried about him, Cake."

The calico raised one eyebrow dubiously. "Hm. Must have been some monster to take down a Vampire King." Cake wasn't one hundred percent fond of her sister's undead friend, but she knew what he meant to Fionna, and well, if he was that important to her sister, then she could tolerate him too. She also knew what he was capable of when provoked. He was in no way, shape, or form an easy opponent to defeat.

"You should get changed, girl," Cake said, passing over the clean clothing. "You look like a scene from a slasher film."

Fionna took the outstretched clothes, already imagining how glorious it would be to feel clean again. Although she wasn't a very feminine girl, she had a few indulgences, and fresh clothes was one of them.

She changed in the bathroom and dropped her blood-stained blue shirt and skirt in a plastic bag. After hesitating for a moment, she tied the bag tightly and tossed it in the trash can. It wasn't worth even trying to save.

Her face was a red, blotchy mess in the bathroom mirror, and she winced at the sight. Dark marks circled her swollen eyes, a shallow scratch lined one side of her lip, and her hair was a tangled mess beneath her bunny hat. "Ughhh," she groaned. She tried to run her fingers through her tangled bangs, but they only caught in the strands, further tightening the knots. Cake had brought her a green and white striped sweater that was a size too large and a pair of loose blue jeans. Whatever shape she had developed in her teenage years was drowned in the oversized striped sweater. With a deadpan glare to her twin in the mirror, she stuffed the loose locks of hair back into her hat, splashed her face with water, and decided she'd just look like someone tore off her face and regurgitated it back on her head. If they didn't like it, they didn't have to look at her.

And with that mentality, she stormed back into the hospital waiting room to face the medical staff. Dr. Ice Cream was already in the lobby chatting quietly with Cake, much to her surprise. She darted over to the two, looking hopefully between them. "Well?" she asked. "Is he okay?"

The doctor held his clipboard close to his chest, frowning at the overactive teen's wide, hopeful stare. "He's showing no vital signs at all, so it's impossible to tell. His injuries are serious and fatal. If anyone else were in his condition, I'd say they were gone."

"But it's not just anyone," Fionna said. "It's Marshall Lee. He's the Vampire King, and he's been around for practically, like, forever."

"Look, Fionna, he may be okay, and he may not be. I've never encountered a situation with a vampire before. We've cleaned his wounds and bandaged him, but that's as far as we can go at this point. He's lost most of his blood, and he's completely unresponsive to any external stimuli. Now we just have to wait to see if he wakes up."

Not exactly the most patient person in Aaa, she frowned at that solution. "Can I at least see him?"

He straightened the glasses over his eyes. "I would have to discourage that. Even if he does wake up, we don't know the condition he'll be in, both physically and mentally. He could be a danger to anyone near him, and some of our patients and staff have already voiced concerns about his stay in our hospital."

"I'm going to see him," Fionna said, full of determination.

Cake looked up at her human sister. "I don't think that's a good idea, Fi. Marshall could be all blood-thirsty and bat crazy when he wakes up."

"And I trust him, so I'm going to stay with him."

The Doctor sniffed, eyebrows raised arrogantly, and scribbled something on his clipboard. "That's up to you, but I'm required to give you that warning. In the meantime, are there any family members we should alert to his condition?"

"None you'd want to meet," Cake muttered.

"Yeah," Fionna said. "Let's not call family."

"Very well," he answered. "I'll take you back to see Mr. Marshall Lee then."

Cake followed along, which Fionna guessed was partially for her rather than Marshall's sake. The long hallways were silent save for the faint hum of the overhead lights, making the trek to his room awkward. They past by elderly candy people with walking canes and children in waiting rooms with runny noses. She would have never thought that Marshall would ever end up in a place like this.

His room was in a back corner of the hospital a bit away from everyone else, and she wondered if that was on purpose. Dr. Ice Cream opened the door and stepped back to let the two in. "A nurse is scheduled to drop by his room every so often for a check up. If you need anything or have questions, there's a button on the wall that will contact the office." And with that, the doctor closed the door.

Fionna and Cake glanced at each other nervously because nothing good ever came of hospitals, then turned to look at the unconscious Vampire King in the nearby bed. The blood had been cleaned off of his body, much to Fionna's relief. His shirt had been removed, and white bandages were wrapped tightly over his chest and neck.

Fionna was the first to approach him, stepping hesitantly beside his bed. Without the blood and gore covering his neck and clothes, he could have been sleeping. Cautiously, her hand reached out to brush against his cheek. Even if he did go crazy like the last time she touched his cheek while he slept, it would be okay, because that just meant he was alive and okay, and she wanted that more than anything.

But that never happened. There was no reaction from her touch.

"He doesn't look good, Fi," Cake stated, and it surprised the young human to hear the worry in the cat's voice.

Fionna's fingers drifted down to graze against his bare forearm. "Marshall," she whispered. "I'm so sorry." His skin was colder than usual from the blood loss, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him till warmth returned. Her gaze drifted over his unclothed torso, lingering on the muscles in his chest and arms, and suddenly, all she could think about was how her body would feel pressed against his. The heat of a blush rushed over her face at the thought. She had never seen him without a shirt before. Marshall didn't have the incredibly defined muscles of a body builder, but he was skinny without being scrawny and lean with subtle hints of an incredible strength.

Cake raised one eyebrow at her sister, a knowing smirk curving the corners of her lips. "What're YOU lookin' at?"

Fionna's blush deepened until she could have sworn her face was burning, and she quickly changed the subject. "Should we do something for him?"

"Like what? Buy him flowers and 'Get Well Soon' cards?" Cake rested her arms on the bars of his hospital bed. "I don't think he'd appreciate those, sis."

"Yeah…. Probably not."

Spotting the medical clipboard at the end of his bed, Cake quickly snatched it up and looked over the front page.

"Dude, put that back," Fionna said. "We can't snatch up medical records and stuff."

"It was out in plain view. They won't mind."

Fionna shot her a doubtful expression, but peered over to read the information as well.

ABADEER, MARSHALL LEE  
VAMPIRE W/ POSSIBLE DEMON BLOOD  
-Deep wounds on chest and neck area. Clean and change bandages every 5 hours as needed.  
-Approach with caution until patient is able to communicate fully and efficiently.  
-Diet consists of red liquids and solid objects in shades of red.

"Hehehe. Abadeer," Cake said, chuckling to herself. "Forgot he had that name."

Fionna pulled a chair from the corner of the room to his bedside and sat down, folding her arms to rest on the bed railing.

"Are you staying the rest of the night?" Cake asked.

"Yeah."

The calico cat hesitated as she thought it over. "Oh. Well… So am I." And with that, she grabbed her own chair and sat at the end of his bed.

It wasn't long before Cake was sound asleep, and the only interruptions were from the nurses that occasionally checked in. At first, the staff had suggested that Fionna retire home for the night. When that didn't work, they advised that Marshall may be unstable when he awoke. And when that didn't make her budge, they stopped speaking to her altogether.

Fionna traced her fingers along his arm, humming one of his band's more popular songs. Marshall loved music. Maybe hearing it would wake him…

In the dark hospital room when everyone else was asleep, Fionna sang softly and off-key, "My cursed blood is your cursed blood. Come on back and be my bud. I can count your visits on my fingertips." She carefully brushed a lock of hair out of his face, tucking it neatly behind his pointed ear. "Come back and give me presents from your business trips."

The sound of an opening door interrupted her song, and she jerked her hand away from his face. Expecting hospital staff, Fionna sighed, closing her eyes in frustration. It surprised her when a warm hand was placed on her shoulder. She lifted her head to see Prince Gumball looking down at her gently.

"You look tired, Fi," the prince said. His crown caught the faint light of the dresser lamp.

"I'm fine. Someone's gotta be here if he decides to wake up, you know?"

"We have hospital staff for that." Gumball crossed his arms over his chest, pausing as he considered his next words. "He's not going to die, you know."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's not that easy to kill a vampire, and Marshall Lee's not weak."

Fionna exhaled, feeling her heart sink further. "I don't know anything about vampires."

He sat in the last open chair in the room, crossing his legs and leaning back to look both casual and regal. With one hand lightly touching his cheek, he stared blankly at the unconscious Marshall. "Perhaps that's a good thing," he said, sounding thoughtful. "They're not very good creatures."

"Marshall Lee's good."

"Marshall Lee's a bit of an anomaly."

Big words. Depressed, she slouched forward and leaned her elbows on her knees. Her position was a direct pointed contrast to Gumball's always-perfect posture. Why did he always use those complicated phrases that she didn't understand?

"So what are you doing here so late?" Fionna asked.

"I got a call from a few concerned citizens about a vampire staying in the hospital. They thought it wasn't proper or safe and wanted him gone." Sardonically, he waved one hand in a circular motion. "They wanted me to 'do something about it'."

"Are you going to?"

"What type of ruler would I be if I didn't listen to my people?" He shot her a sly grin. "So I'm going to make sure Marshall Lee gets well enough to leave as soon as possible."

Fionna snorted a short laugh. "You're a really cool dude sometimes, PG."

"I do my best."

For the next two days, Fionna spent her free time in the hospital. Some of the staff- and Cake too- thought she was crazy. Why waste her time at the bedside of a vampire? Especially knowing that he may never wake up?

The answer was obvious, of course. Fionna was sincere and human, and she cared about others more than anyone else in the land of Aaa. Even in her teenage years, she'd never lost that child-like hope that things would turn out for the best if she fought hard enough. And if there was one thing Fionna could be called, it was a fighter. When given a goal, she would battle until her hands bled raw and her skin was bruised and maybe one or two of her bones were cracked; the one and only Heroine of Aaa.

It was on the third day since Marshall's injury that Fionna was called on an adventure with Cake. Some grass giant had been terrorizing the flower village, but it turned out to be more of an annoyance than a battle. The two easily chased the giant off with a few light punches. The biggest obstacle was dealing with the giant's complaints about the heroes "ruining his fun."

Tired from lack of sleep, Fionna returned to the hospital, lazily greeting the front desk secretary. She passed two middle-aged candy people that whispered conspiratorially, and she knew they were talking about her… or, more specifically, about Marshall Lee. With a roll of the eyes and an annoyed sigh, she continued down the hallway into Marshall's room.

"You really gotta get better soon, man," she muttered to Marshall's unconscious form. "I can't deal with all these sick turbo-jerks anymore." She bent over his face, carefully examining it for any signs of life. With one finger, she poked at the tip of his nose. "Get. Better. Now." When there was no response, she shrugged and plopped down into her chair.

A tap at the door startled her from her rest. Two teenage girls peered in the room cautiously. The first one, a blonde cookie person with a sideways ponytail, asked quietly, "Is this where Marshall Lee the Vampire King is staying?"

"Yeah," Fionna answered.

The second girl, a soft-spoken strawberry that sported a Marshall Lee and the Horror Kings t-shirt, stood on her tippy toes to see over the bed railing. "Do you think he would mind if we said hi?"

Dryly, Fionna glanced over at his motionless body. "I don't see any reason why he would."

The Horror Kings fan grinned from ear to ear and did a tiny hop in excitement. The blonde gave her a small push to go first, and the two stepped in beside his bed. "Oh, my glob, it's really him," the strawberry girl said. "I've been wanting to meet him since his first cd."

"She was always too afraid to say hi at his concerts," the blonde stated.

"Was not! Security always told me we weren't allowed backstage."

"Right, and that's why you hid when he glanced your way."

The strawberry pouted and glared at her friend.

"So, does he really drink red?" the blonde asked. "Like blood and stuff?"

Fionna, not really in the mood to deal with fan girls, quoted, "Only from lost little girls that ask too many questions."

The strawberry girl's eyes grew wide. "And does he eat strawberries?"

Fionna's lips twisted into a sly smile, and she suddenly knew why Marshall got a kick out of terrifying people. "Oh, yeah. Strawberries are his favorite."

The girl glanced nervously at her friend, who looked less than impressed. "I don't know what you're afraid of. He's not even conscious." To prove her point, she smacked his arm with the back of her hand.

The reaction happened immediately. With a sudden intake of breath, Marshall sat straight up in his bed, his solid black eyes wide open. He let out a chilling scream that made goosebumps travel along Fionna's arms. The two girls, suddenly under his hollow gaze, both stumbled back, and the blonde tripped over a nearby chair. His face was twisted into a more demonic shape than usual, his sharp teeth long and dangerous in the room. The blonde girl couldn't look away from his eyes, and she scooted back on the floor to get away.

"Marshall!" Fionna shouted, leaping onto the bed with him. Her hands wrapped around his upper arms to get his attention. His muscles were tense and shifted beneath her grip as though they wanted to morph into one of his other forms but had not decided which one yet. Fionna couldn't let that happen. These patients and nurses were already terrified of him. Who knew what they'd do if they saw one of his more extreme demon forms.

His attention was still focused on the teenage girls, and Fionna shouted, "Marshall! Look at me!" Those reflective demon eyes turned to her, and she could see her own pleading gaze within them. His fingers had grown into sharp claws that wrapped tightly around her own upper arms. A deep, low growl emitted from his chest, and it took everything Fionna had to not back away from him. "Marsh, it's me. It's Fionna." She trailed her fingers along his cheek.

It took three rapid heartbeats (she counted) for recognition to flicker in his expression. His panicked, rapid breaths slowed, and she watched as the black in his eyes shrank to its normal size. "Fionna?" he asked in a raspy voice.

She laughed in relief, feeling tears threaten to sting her eyes. "Yeah." And because he was alive and none of her nightmares had come true, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. "You're okay," she said, smiling as a few tears trailed down her cheeks and onto his shoulder.

Now, Marshall Lee did not hug. He was a night creature, and that meant that signs of affection like hugging or tender caresses were generally looked down upon. Because of this, it surprised her when his arms encased her in a close embrace. She melted into his arms, amazed at how comfortable it felt to be there. His bare skin was cold against hers, and she wondered if her human body heat was comfortable to him. Did he crave it, or was it irritating?

All too soon, the hug was over, and Marshall clutched onto her arms once again. He stopped her before she could back entirely away, resting his forehead against her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

It was a long time before he answered with a soft, shaky, "Yes."

"Should I call the doctor?"

"Just… give me a moment, okay?"

He took a few deep, steady breaths, his grip on her arms rigid. Then, tense as though making a great effort, he sat straight up and glanced around the room. "I must have been really out of it cause there's no way I'd willingly come to the Candy Kingdom Hospital." Despite his hoarse voice, it sounded like the Marshall Lee she knew. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days. I carried you here cause I didn't know where else to go. There aren't exactly any vampire hospitals around." She tilted her head as she thought that over. "Well, none that I know of at least."

He blinked in surprise. "You carried me here?"

"Well, I couldn't just leave you alone in the forest. You'd do the same for me."

He stared at her for a moment before grinning gently. "You think I'd waste that much energy for a little mortal hero like you?"

"I do." She smiled back at him proudly. "You act all mean and junk, but I know inside, you're just a big soft marshmallow."

"A marshmallow," he repeated.

"Yep. Marshall the Marshmallow."

"You were more fun when you thought I was evil."

The door burst open, interrupting their conversation to reveal a very frazzled-looking Nurse Poundcake. Her wide, panicked eyes darted around the room in alarm before landing on the Vampire King.

Marshall raised one hand with a casual, "Yo."

Confused by the scene, she pointed to Marshall Lee, then to the hallway and back again. "Two teenage girls just ran out of the hospital screaming that you were awake and wreaking havoc."

With a shrug, he slid back in the bed to recline. "Nah, I'm cool."

"Oh." she scratched her head awkwardly, looking to Fionna for confirmation that everything was okay. When Fionna nodded, the nurse walked to Marshall's bedside. "How are you feeling? Dizzy, woozy, anything out of the ordinary?" From her pocket, she pulled out a medical light and shined it into his right eye.

With a hiss, Marshall jerked away from her and rubbed his eyeball. Alarmed by his reaction, she took a quick step back.

"That hurts, woman. Ask before you do that," he said, his lips curled over his fangs.

Her mouth tightened into a thin line. "It's simply procedure, Mr. Abadeer."

"I'm fine. If I feel weird, I'll call you." He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

With her responsibilities as a nurse warring in her head, she hesitated, gnawing on the inside of her cheek in nervousness. Then self preservation won out, and the nurse stepped daintily out of the room.

Marshall closed his eyes and slid further down into his bed, draping his arm over his eyes to block out the light as he did so.

"Do you want me to go too?" Fionna asked.

"You can stay if you want. You're not bothering me."

She curled her legs onto the bed beside him. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry," he answered immediately. "Something to eat would be nice."

"Anything you want, Marshall. Strawberries or cherries? Apples?"

He grinned as though laughing at his own private joke. "Yeah, sure. Sounds great," he answered in a tone that sounded like the idea was anything but great.

Always the naïve hero, Fionna leapt up from the bed and made her way toward the door, excited over the opportunity to help him. "You got it. I'll be back with food before you know it, Marsh."

With Fionna gone, Marshall sat up in bed. The effort caused an empty, burning sensation to spread like hot coals in his chest. He folded forward, wrenching his eyes shut in agony. He felt… drained. Like he imagined creatures would feel when his mother took their souls. With trembling hands, he unwrapped the bandages from his upper torso. The sight of his mangled, mutilated chest was worse than he imagined. His normally gray skin was inflamed with nasty shades of blues and sore reds. He winced, his fingers tentatively touching the wound. His teeth gritted together to deal with the pain that immediately pulsed through his body.

That creature really had got the best of him. He'd lost a lot of blood, and because of that, his body craved the taste of it to heal itself. Marshall didn't like violence and instead preferred to live off of red even if it was a bit bland and not nearly as fulfilling. After living so long, he'd become a master at controlling whatever bloodlust vampirism included, but at that moment, he could hear every heartbeat and movement in the nearby rooms. Blood was life; it kept creatures on the living plane. Missing so much of it, Marshall's instincts were demanding that he go take it.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose and breathing steadily. He did not need to deal with this right now.

To further complicate matters, Fionna stepped into the room, carrying with her a silver bowl full of strawberries and cherries. Not wanting her to see his chest, Marshall turned over in his bed, throwing the blankets over his upper body.

"Hey, did you take off your bandages?" she asked. "I wanna see."

"No." His voice was muffled by the bed sheets.

She sat the bowl on his bedside table and shook his arm lightly. "Are you pouting? Come on, please." She pulled on his arm to turn him over

He hissed at her with pointed fangs and large, demonically white eyes. Not phased by his theatrics, she whined, "Marshall Leeeee."

If there was one thing Fionna was, it was persistent, and if there was one thing Marshall had a weakness for, it was requests from his closest friends. Especially bunny-eared friends. Reluctantly, he rolled over, revealing his deep injury.

Fionna's face dropped, her eyes widening. "Ow," she said with a wince. Then, crinkling her nose, added, "Ew."

"You asked."

"I regret it."

He glanced around the room and, not finding what he was searching for, asked, "Where's my shirt?"

"Sacrificed to the Battle of the Dark Forest." She retrieved a white v-neck from a nearby dresser and handed it to him. "One of the nurses left this for you though." Once he put it on, the white color made his skin look not quite as pale.

Fionna then presented him with a bowl of fruit, smiling proudly. "I got everything red I could find in the kitchen."

_How about everything red in the hospital?_

"Thanks, Fi," he said, eyeing the red fruits. He selected a strawberry and brought it to his lips. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine it was something else. His teeth cut through the skin of the fruit like flesh, and the color filled his mouth like liquid, but at the end of the day, it was just a shade, and he was left with a hollow craving in his chest.

He opened his eyes to see Fionna sitting in the bed with him, her arms wrapped around her bent knees. Suddenly self conscious, Marshall dragged his tongue along his red-tinted fangs and asked, "What?"

She smiled honestly with a shrug. "I'm just glad you're okay is all." Her grin faltered for a small moment. "I thought that creature had killed you."

His arm leaned against hers in an effort to cheer her up. "Hey, I haven't fought like that in ages. It was fun."

"You're rusty, man."

"I didn't see you doing any better."

He was right, Fionna thought. In the end, she was lucky she had a weapon…

The color drained from her face as a realization hit her. His axe bass. She'd left it in the woods after the fight.

Marshall Lee was going to _kill_ her. His axe had been a family heirloom for who knew how many centuries. He valued that thing more than most peoples' lives. How could she have just abandoned it when he'd trusted her with such a valuable item?

Seeing her change in attitude, Marshall said, "You fought fine, hero. I'm just teasing."

Her mouth suddenly dry, Fionna forced a grin on her face. "Just wait till the next fight, Lee. I'm going to destroy you in terms of skill."

As she spoke, she resolved to retrieve his axe bass from the Dark Forest…

Even if it was the last thing she did…

* * *

Fionna went home soon after that to get some sleep. And she did need it. Her voice was cracking due to exhaustion and dark circles highlighted the skin around her eyes.

Left alone and not having the energy to walk or float out of the hospital quite yet, Marshall was bedridden and bored out of his wits. It was a little past midnight when all good little citizens were in bed, and he didn't even have his guitar to keep him amused.

When there was a knock at the door and Prince Gumball peeked his head into the room with a polite, "Can I come in?", Marshall can honestly say he'd never been happier to see the Candy Ruler.

At Marshall's nod, Gumball backed into the door and stepped in carrying a fancy embellished silver tray with two lidded mugs. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I was stabbed two times in the chest and had my throat ripped out." He shot the prince a vicious smile. "Want to see?"

"Not particularly." Gumball daintily sat the tray on the bedside table and picked up the pink mug with a tiny gold crown on it. The mug was a joke gift from Lord Monochromicorn. Though he would never admit it, he treasured it as a symbol of their friendship. "I brought tea," he stated.

Marshall scowled in disgust. "I don't drink tea, Bubba. You know that."

The prince sipped at his own tea, eyeing the vampire as he did so. "Fionna was very worried about you."

"Fionna worries too much about people. She needs to watch out for herself."

"That's not who see is though," Gumball said, his voice gentle. "She had every right to be worried. I was concerned as well. You didn't look good, Marshall."

"Tch. It takes more than that to kill me."

"Yes, well, typically, two stabs into the chest of a vampire is enough to kill them."

With no retort to that statement, the Vampire King looked away.

"Fionna brought you red fruit, I see," Gumball said. There was a slyness to his expression as he added, "Perfect for a fruit bat, I suppose."

Marshall glared at his friend. "I'm not a bat."

"No. You're not." He steadied the bottom of his mug in the palm of his hand, looking regal as he did so. "You should really try your tea. I think you'd like it."

To satisfy the prince, Marshall attained the cup and opened the lid. The smell hit him like a right hook, and his eyes widened at Gumball in disbelief. "This is blood."

The Candy Prince didn't say anything, studying the vampire with his light purple eyes.

Marshall Lee blinked, staring at the cup as he got used to the idea. "Where did this come from?"

"Would it make you feel better if you didn't know?" Prince Gumball responded. "No one's dead or injured from it, if that's what you're asking."

Marshall's voice was toneless as he said, "You're not the saint you pretend to be."

"And you're not the monster you want others to think you are." His gaze landed blankly on the dresser. His next words were mechanical. "To be a good ruler, you must sometimes make sacrifices for the greater good for your subjects."

Marshall scowled, one lip curling over a very sharp tooth. "I'm not one of your candy subjects."

"No. But you're my friend."

"Blood's addictive, Bubba."

"I think I've known you long enough to trust you." Still sensing his hesitation, Gumball rolled his eyes and added, "Really, it's the same as a blood transfusion. Vampires operate differently than most creatures, and you lost a lot of blood that needs to be replaced." He waved one hand to the red fruit. "Colors aren't going to cut it if you're wanting to heal to full strength quickly. You know that." His eyes steadily met the vampire's black ones. "And you do need to be fully healed as soon as possible, don't you?"

The full gravity of those words caused Marshall Lee to grit his teeth together, and he swiftly looked away from the prince. A heavy silence weighed down on the room. Gumball stared at the wall in thought. He took another sip of his tea, and then, never facing the vampire, said, "It's why you're having your concert next week, isn't it? It's a farewell show. You're leaving for your world."

"Temporarily," Marshall responded immediately. "I have to if I want to keep my crown."

"I've read how Vampire Monarchy works. To become the ruler, someone must kill the ruling king or queen." He finally turned his gaze to Marshall Lee. "You killed the previous Vampire Queen."

"That was a long time ago," Marshall stated. "And it's a long story."

"The vampires will be looking to assassinate you."

"It happens every eight years, and they haven't succeeded yet." His eyes were striving for the light-hearted, teasing expression he typically wore, but failing to some extent. "I'm coming back." Even to his ears, it sounded doubtful.

Gumball took a deep breath, his gaze locked on an ugly wall painting. His next words came out of nowhere and were exhaled on a sigh. "I'm getting married."

And with those words, Marshall was yet again hit with a surprise. His eyebrows raising high to vanish under his black bangs. "You're what?"

"It's an arranged marriage to unite two kingdoms."

For a moment, the vampire didn't know what to say. And then, "Do you _want _to get married, Bubba?"

"I've never met her," he answered, shrugging. "Either way, it's not really about what I want. It's about what's best for the Candy Kingdom."

Looking doubtful, Marshall said, "I once got dragged into an arranged marriage. I can tell you how to get out of it if you want."

"That's quite all right. My responsibilities come first."

"Does Fionna know?"

"Not yet," he responded.

With a voice that was steady and a little sad, Marshall said, "You're going to break her heart."

Gumball shook his head slightly. "She's been over me for a while now. I don't think it'll matter to her that much."

There was a long moment of silence. In an attempt to lighten the mood, the vampire said, "So the Candy Prince is becoming the Candy King. About time."

Gumball smirked gently. "You better come back, Marshall Lee. I want you to be a guest at my wedding."

"Tch, don't invite me. I only crash weddings for the red velvet cake."

"I'll make sure we have some then." Gumball patted the vampire's arm and stood from his chair. "I need to get some rest, Marshall. Get well soon, my friend." After collecting his silver tray and pink coffee mug, Gumball left the Vampire King alone in the hospital room once again.

Marshall sat in silence for a long time after that, their conversation playing on repeat in his head as he stared blankly at his coffee mug full of blood.

NEXT CHAPTER: THE AXE BASS

_(A/N: Whew. Sorry for the delay with this chapter. It was a lot to get through. _

_So many Fionna/Marshall Lee writers want to make Gumball out to be some horrible villain, but I love writing him as being a good guy. Especially his friendship with Marshall. The two are completely polar opposites, but somehow, their friendship works to me, and I wanted to show that in this chapter. _

_I've always thought Gumball and Princess Bubblegum had a very odd dark side to them, which I also like writing._

_As always, please review! I love hearing your thoughts after spending so much time writing and editing. 3 _

_Soooo... How about a bit of Marshall Lee/Fionna fluff for the next chapter? I think so. ^_^ )_


	5. The Axe Bass

_(A/N: I'm dedicating this chapter to all the reviewers that are sticking with this story. And to izzyblue1234, who sent me a PM telling me to update. :) I need that kind of encouragement.)_

CHAPTER FIVE: THE AXE BASS

Marshall Lee recovered quickly after Gumball's visit. It took him a bit of practice to get back on his feet- Or more accurately, into the air, but once he did, he hovered in the middle of the room for a long time, concentrating on the action. Before long, he simply floated down the hospital hallway and out the front door, winking at the stunned nurses and doctors as he passed. They merely stared without a word and let him go. None of them really wanted him there in the first place.

By the time he reached his house, he was walking slowly, his feet heavy on the ground. He slammed his front door shut and, breathing heavily, collapsed on his uncomfortable couch. Finding a palm-sized stress ball between the cushions of his couch, he stared at the ceiling as he tossed it into the air and caught it when it came back down. His chest hurt when he moved his arms, but for some reason, he couldn't stop making the motion.

Fionna had saved his life. That was… different. Marshall wasn't quite used to someone caring enough about him to save him. It was always, "That vampire is a menace!" Or, even worse, "If we get close to the Vampire King, imagine what influence we would have on others." Those were the first to leave when something bad happened. Still, it was nice pretending he had friends sometimes. But maybe….

Maybe he really did have friends now.

It made him realize how long he'd been living in the cave. Being immortal, it made sense to move quite often so people wouldn't get attached to him. Or worst, so he wouldn't get attached to them. Keep moving. See the world and live before it became too hard to say goodbye. Because, try as he might to hold onto his mortal friends, they always left him- one way or the other. They became uncomfortable when he never aged, or they held onto him as they grew old and died. And when they were gone, he was alone to deal with the pain.

Like all vampires, his heart was always his weakness.

He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth together. Maybe it was time he left for good. Sure, it would hurt at first, but it wouldn't be as harmful in the long run.

And Fionna…

Marshall didn't know when it happened, but at some point, she stopped being Fionna the Adventurer and become Fionna his Pal and then Fionna the Blonde Mini-Skirt Wearing Hero that Cared Too Much. Sometimes, when she smiled at him, he could swear his heart kick started in his chest. He thought maybe her smiles felt like the sun felt to most people, that it was kind and warm and everything he wasn't.

It was the thought of her tear-stained face that haunted him the most. How could he leave her? And because he thought that question, he knew that it would be best if he did leave her.

A knock startled him out of his thoughts. With a groan, he rolled off of the couch, wincing at the careless action, and walked to open the front door. It was raining outside the cave entrance, and Marshall wasn't sure when exactly had had happened. The skies were clear when he came home.

Fionna stood on his doorstep looking like an abandoned, homeless bunny. Her white hat and clothing were thoroughly soaked, and she held her arms tightly about her chest. Shivering, she asked, "Can I come in?"

He stepped out of the way so she could enter. "What happened to you?" he said, closing the door with the heel of his shoe.

"Big fight with a giganto lizard guy. Then I got caught in a storm. Bleh."

"I can't leave you alone for one moment, can I?" Marshall said, amused.

He didn't want to leave her at all…

"I think I have some spare clothes that'll fit you" he said. "You look like you're going to freeze to death, and a Fionna ghost would cramp my style. Be right back, okay?"

He floated into his room and dug in his closet until he found some clothing that would fit her: A pair of pajama pants that were too short for him and an old faded-black band shirt. Once upon a time, the clothes belonged to his ex, Ashley, and had been left behind as items lost in the breakup. He wondered why he hadn't burned them already and let the memory raise in clouds of grey ash.

Still, they'd at least fit Fionna until she could dry her own outfit.

If Fionna knew the complicated back-story behind the pajama pants and shirt, maybe she wouldn't have taken them and motioned for Marshall Lee to turn around. It took two seconds for him to realize what she was asking, and then, embarrassed, he spun on heel.

"Were you busy?" she asked.

Marshall tried to ignore the sound of shuffling clothes and attempted to not imagine the scene going on behind him. "Nah, I was just going to chill for a while. Maybe play some music or something."

"You healed, like, crazy quickly."

"Vampire thing."

"Yeah, figured. Wish I had super healing. Okay, you can turn around now."

Marshall turned and took in her clothing change: the way her long, blonde hair fell in wet locks around her body and how the pajamas fit her perfectly, but the shirt was a size too large.

Flashing her a smile that was half-way sweet and a little mocking, he said, "You look pathetic." And perhaps what he really meant was that she looked adorable.

However much he loved her smiles, he favored her glares even more. Laughing to himself, he floated over to sit on the couch, ruffling her wet hair as he passed. His arms spread out to rest on the back of the couch.

Fionna sat beside him with her shoulders slumped over. "Gumball's getting married," she stated.

He eyed her for any signs of heartbreak, and when he didn't detect any, said, "Who would have thought, right? I could have sworn ol' Gumgum was gay."

She was quiet, her eyes locked on the blank tv screen. "I thought I'd be sad about it. But I'm not. It made me realize there was someone else I like."

Great. Someone else she was madly in love with. Who would it be this time? The Flame Prince? That would end well.

He felt her gaze on him and reluctantly turned his eyes to hers. The seriousness in her expression made him uncomfortable. Marshall swallowed to get rid of the lump that suddenly developed in his throat. "Who would that be?"

She moved closer to him, and Marshall wasn't sure if he wanted to back away or lean toward her. Her hand landed delicately on his chest, covering the place where his heart would be, and he felt her touch echo throughout his body. He swallowed again, his heart jamming into his throat. A thousand thoughts ran amuck in his head until they were a dull buzz of senselessness.

Her face was hovering over his. He couldn't take his eyes off of her half-lidded gaze. God, she smelled like grass and daylight and strawberries.

"Marshall." Names have power, and his, whispered on a breath, was no different. At the right moment, with the right tone, a person can summon or construct or destroy with a name. Perhaps if she'd spoken his last name instead, which carried a power in itself, she would have had him forever.

Her lips brushed against his lightly, and they were chapped and rough and flawless. He inhaled through his teeth, the sensation reverberating throughout him like an electric shock. If the world stopped or shifted, he could have felt it. His head lifted to kiss her again, closer this time, more solid and substantial. He pulled her nearer, his hand resting on the back of her neck. His lips moved against hers, sweetly at first, then more intense and urgent, and he could tell that she was inexperienced compared to him; that she had never really been kissed like this before. That was okay; it was Fionna, and she didn't have to be perfect at anything she did. The heat of her blush was warm against his face, and he wanted to take in her warmth and sweetness and never leave her. He drank her proximity like fine wine, and the effect was similar: his universe tilted, and if the problems plaguing him existed, they were somewhere far off.

Fionna moved her leg over his body, straddling him. Surprised, Marshall broke their kiss and glanced over their current position. A small bit of logic formed in his slowly-moving brain. This wasn't right. But it was, wasn't it? "Uhm, Fionna, maybe…" Words were having difficulty materializing, and when they did develop, they slipped from his grasp. He licked his lips, and he could still taste her. "Maybe we should slow down?"

With one quick kiss, she cupped his cheeks, smiling at him with so much affection that he doubted he deserved it. "It's okay, Mar-Mar. Promise." She sounded like Ashley.

Her mouth pressed against his once again, and her body melted against his. Every argument dissolved like the pain of a pinprick.

She was inexperienced, yes, but she was learning quickly. She kissed his cheek, then trailed her lips down his jaw line and onto his neck. Her mouth found the two bitemarks on his throat and moved against them. He hummed a note of surprise and arched toward her, breathing roughly through his mouth. Her fingers played with the hem of his shirt as she twisted her hips against his. With a deep sound in his throat, Marshall tilted his head to the side, giving her more access. Because he had been hers for a while anyway.

Her hands crept beneath his shirt, exploring the muscles in his bare chest. Something about the motion snapped him back to his senses. "Uhm, hold on," he said in a small, uncertain voice. When she didn't stop, he moved her off of him and stood from the couch, his entire body trembling. Some part of him screamed that he was crazy, and maybe he was.

Fionna looked up at him, and he could see all the hurt and rejection that had built to this moment. It took everything he had not to wrap his arms around her once more. "Look, it's not that I don't want this. I do. God, Fionna, I do. But I don't want to do something we'll both regret." He shoved his fingers through his black hair. "You're really new to this whole thing, and I don't want to move too fast. Let's, I dunno, take things slow, and see how it works out first."

With equal parts confidence and doubt, Fionna stood and stepped toward him. His eyes traveled over the swaying movement of her hips. "I have thought about this, Marshall Lee." For every step she took toward him, he matched it with an equal step back. "I won't regret anything. I'm tired of being the one always rejected."

His back was against the wall. With her arms forming a barricade to each side, she kissed the underside of his chin. His eyelids drifted shut. "Are.. Mmm, are you sure?"

When she backed away, it wasn't Fionna he was looking at. Her skin was a light shade of grey, and her blonde hair had been replaced with a white, unstyled Mohawk. The old band shirt fit her body in a way that was familiar to him. "What are you so worried about?" Ashley said. Her thick eyelashes fluttered. Her fingers dipped around the waist of his denim jeans, unbuttoning them with all the expertise of someone that had done it before. "We've only just started."

Dumbfounded, Marshall could only watch in horrified shock as Ashley brought her lips to his. Broken out of the trance by the kiss, he clutched roughly on her upper arms and shoved her away.

Fionna blinked back in surprise. "What?"

Marshall breathed in evenly as his mind tried to work out what was happening. Perhaps he was finally losing his mind after all these years.

Fionna placed her hand on the back of his neck and breathed, "Stop worrying so much."

Maybe she was right. Maybe he was just over thinking this whole thing. Her soft gaze and slight pout certainly weren't making things any easier. Making a sudden decision, he roughly shoved his mouth against hers. She made a note of surprised delight and kissed him back like she could never have enough. With his hand exploring her sides and stomach beneath her oversized shirt, Marshall turned their position around till her back was pressed against the wall. His body molded into hers, and she inhaled a silent gasp. His kisses traveled to her throat, to her rapid pulse. It pounded into his head like a hypnotism. Her head tilted back, exposing her neck further. Because she was his, and he was hers, and that was how it was now. His lips parted to unveil his sharp teeth, and he sank his fangs into the soft flesh of her throat, allowing the rare taste of human blood to fill his mouth.

* * *

With a gasp, Marshall Lee jerked awake on his couch. His eyes darted around the room, landing first on the blank tv and then on the stress ball that was on his chest. His breathing gradually slowed as he processed the events of his very vivid dream.

It wasn't real. He didn't kiss Fionna or bite her, and she hadn't morphed into his ex. Okay. With his nerves wrecked, he shakily stood and made his way to the kitchen fridge. His fingers wrapped around a red apple, and he weighed it in his hand. The red was a taunting reminder of his dream, and, in annoyance, he threw it against his cabinets, where it cracked and bruised before falling useless to the floor. "Dammit, Marshall," he said to himself as he leaned against his refrigerator door. "We don't think of friends like that." And he wasn't sure if he meant as romantic interests or as food or both.

Whenever he was upset, creating music always made him feel better. Still slumped over, Marshall floated into his bedroom to find his axe bass.

* * *

Whenever Fionna or Cake was on an adventure or cooking or even when they were just bored, they liked to make music. It was a habit they'd picked up as children, and it had stuck with them ever since. Over the years, the two girls had created a number of quality, catchy numbers that could be stuck in a person's head for days if given the chance.

The song they were currently singing was not one of those. Cake beat boxed into her hand as Fionna rapped:

"We're two tough girls,  
We're on a plight  
To retrieve a bass  
From the dead of night.  
Our route is dark,  
Our hearts are light,  
So back off, creeps,  
Lest you want a fight!"

Cake beat boxed a finale with the sound of a scratching record and looked up at her much-taller sister. "Did you say route?" Cake asked. "As in root? It's rowt, not root."

"Nah, Cake, it's root."

"I don't like how that sounds."

"Tomato, Tomah-to."

"Heheh, I think I'd punch someone if they said tomah-to."

Fionna laughed. "Me too. Hey, where are we?"

The two paused and examined their surroundings within the Dark Forest. It looked the same as it had five minutes ago. "Hm, I thought you knew," Cake answered.

Fionna spun around slowly in a circle. "I was following the trail and it just vanished."

"Hmm. Man, this place is wack creepy. What's Marshall doing haunting this place anyway? Pret-ty weird if you ask me."

"Marshall likes spooky stuff."

"You're tellin' me." Cake held her hands out. "Alright, Fi, I got this." She pressed her ear against the ground with a thoughtful, "Mm-hmm," then stood and sniffed the air.

Fionna giggled. "What are you doing?"

"Algebraic cat powers, lil' sis! Just you watch and try to learn!" She licked one finger and held it in the air, nodding. After a triumphant, "A-ha!" she exclaimed, "Follow me" and darted off to the right.

Fionna followed, loving the sense of exploring and the feel of the breeze on her face. She lived for adventures. Her pink sword was heavy against her back, and she was itching for a chance to use it.

Cake led her into an area that Fionna instantly recognized. "I know this," she said. "The monster had attacked me here, and it chased me… This way!"

This time, Fionna led the path. "And Marshall Lee showed up here, and we flew over here to get away. Come on!"

Before long, the two ran into the clearing where the main battle took place. The large creature's corpse was still there, swollen in death. Cautiously, Fionna crept around the body as though it would raise its monstrous head and attack. Zombies existed. It could happen.

To her relief, Marshall's axe bass was in a nearby bush. "Got it!" she exclaimed, clutching onto its neck and lifting it into the air. A string hanging from the instrument caught her attention, and her heart sank. One of the strings had broken. She'd destroyed Marshall Lee's favorite bass. What was she going to tell him?

In her distress, neither Fionna nor Cake noticed the dainty woman sitting on a nearby tree branch until she spoke. "That belongs to a King."

The two girls snapped to attention. Cake immediately leapt in front of her sister on the defense. Her fists raised in a threat as Fionna reached for her sword.

The woman was petite and elegant with short, cropped black hair and pale grey skin that was similar to Marshall's. A dark green cloak covered her head and concealed most of her body. "Seriously," the woman said, "You should probably leave it alone."

"We're going to give it to him," Fionna said, holding the axe close to her.

One finely arched eyebrow rose over her black eyes. "You know him? It's so… quaint to see what company he keeps now a days." She stated the words like an insult.

"Who are you, and how do you know Marshall?" Cake asked, her voice harsh compared to the two other females in the area.

The woman shrugged. "Every vampire knows Marshall Lee."

At the word vampire, Cake tensed, her pride immediately deflating, and announced, "Well, now that all of our questions have been answered, we can head over to Marshall's place, right, Fi? Thanks for talking to us, ma'am, and not drinking our blood and turning us into members of the undead." Cake spun on heel in the hopes that Fionna would follow. No such luck.

Fionna drew her sword and pointed it at the woman. "If you're looking for a fight, vampire, you've picked the right people to terrorize!"

The cat's eyes widened, and she leaned over to whisper, "For real, Fi, let's get the flop out of here."

"I don't want a fight. Really," the woman answered. "What you CAN do is tell me where Marshall Lee is staying these days."

"Why would I tell you that?"

"Cause his kingdom needs him, sweetheart."

Fionna blinked. "His kingdom?"

"You know. Everything the Vampire King supposedly rules over?" She waved a pale hand in a circle. Her fingernails were a deep green to match her cloak. When the two adventuresses gave her blank looks, she rolled her eyes. "Look, I don't have time for this. Just… when you see Marshall, tell him Natalie's looking for him. You can at least do that, can't you?"

"Yeah. We'll see him soon," Fionna agreed, and Cake elbowed her in the side.

"Good." The woman stood on the tree branch as though ready to leave and then hesitated. "Kind-of a dangerous place for the two of you, don't you think?"

Fionna smiled proudly, holding her sword up in triumph. "We battle evil all the time!"

Her dark eyes glinted in the night, and she smiled derisively at the two. The gesture looked particularly evil in the forest setting. "Cute." With nothing else to say, the woman shifted into a smaller bat form and faded into the shadows.

"Whoa," Cake said. "Marshall knows some hot vampire babes."

Not liking that thought, Fionna frowned. "Come on, man, let's take this bass back to Marshall Lee's house before he notices it's missing."

"You can take it back to him. I've had enough vampires to last me the rest of the year." But Cake walked with Fionna until Marshall Lee's cave appeared in view.

* * *

Marshall Lee the Vampire King had some serious trust issues. It began when he was a child left alone during the Mushroom War amongst the death and chaos, and his only friend went insane to protect him. Later on, his ex-girlfriend stole his favorite possession and sold it for a lame plant, which effectively ended the ill-fated relationship. Not only that, but his mother was a demon ruler of the Nightosphere that spent her time backstabbing others and devouring souls.

So it was no real surprise that the Vampire King had difficulties trusting others, even when those others were close friends of his.

Marshall Lee's axe bass was missing.

Now, that bass was one of the few things in the world that Marshall really valued, and it was unusual for him to let anyone else put their hands on the weapon-turned-instrument. But the last person he handed it to was Fionna because, for better or worse, Marshall trusted her.

Where was it now? Shouldn't she have returned it already? He collapsed onto his uncomfortable couch, closing his eyes in concentration as though he could will the bass to appear. Being the naturally distrustful vampire he was, scenarios ran through his mind of what could have happened. What if she'd lost the bass and hadn't had the courage to tell him? Maybe he'd misjudged, and she'd sold the bass? That particular scenario made him feel sick, so he scowled and drummed lightly on the couch arm with his fingers. She wouldn't do that to him… would she?

A sound outside of his house caused his fingers to stop their rhythmic drumming. He tilted his head, listening to the soft, steady footsteps. Two feet. Definitely humanoid. A frown curled the corners of his lips. He definitely wasn't in the mood for company. If he ignored them, they'd more than likely go away.

But when the doorknob started turning without a knock, Marshall sat straight up in attention. Who in Aaa would dare to break into the Vampire King's house? He floated up to the ceiling to hover in the corner, pressing his body into the shadows and out of sight. Whoever it was picked the wrong home to break into. His muscles tensed, his teeth sharpening to long daggers. Intimidation was his favorite game after all.

But when the door creaked open and a bunny hat peeked into his living room, he relaxed. Why was Fionna breaking into his house? Cautiously, she looked around for any signs of life. When she completely missed the vampire in the room, she stepped through the doorframe, dragging behind her his infamous red bass.

Marshall couldn't help the soft smile that appeared on his face as his eyes narrowed. That sneaky little human. Trying to put the instrument in his room without him noticing?

He waited till she was in the center of the room before he drifted down behind her, allowing his face to contort into something akin to a wolf. It wasn't like this didn't earn her a bit of a scare after all.

Fionna must have sensed something behind her because she hesitated and nervously grasped the neck of the axe. Marshall floated over her head and hovered upside-down in front of her face. "What are you doing?" he said in a half-snarl.

She shrieked, one arm flailing into the air while the other clumsily lifted the guitar as though ready to use it as a weapon. Marshall grasped onto the bass with one clawed hand and the front of her shirt with the other, balancing her before she could topple backwards.

"Hey, you found my bass," he said, his amusement adding a devilish gleam to his eyes.

"You poo brain!" she exclaimed. Her fist rammed into his upper arm, and he had to admit her punches- even the light ones- were full of painful force.

He shifted back to his regular form, making his smirk all the more pronounced. "I'm sorry," he said in a tone that clearly said he wasn't sorry. "Did I scare you?"

A glare that promised violence and pain was his only response.

His fingers gently pried the axe bass from her hand. He did a backflip midair to float upright, spinning the instrument in a full circle like a deadly baton.

Fionna's expression softened when she saw the bass in his possession. "I, uhm, may have broke it."

His gaze darted to the instrument, and she caught the millisecond of fear there before it faded to a more neutral expression. "A broken string is no big deal." He retrieved a thin white envelope from his side table drawer and sat on the couch. With the envelope held loosely between his teeth, he began unwinding the broken string.

As he worked, Fionna took a seat beside him. "I didn't expect you home so soon."

That much was obvious. With the broken string removed, Marshall took his new replacement out of the envelope and began threading it into the bridge and winding it around the tuner. "They didn't want me there anyway," he replied. "And I'm a fast healer."

Once the string was replaced, he began plucking at the notes, his head tilted as he paid close attention to the tone.

Fionna watched him and how his hands moved, listening for the proper tone herself. Although she loved music, she had never learned how to play. "I wish I knew guitars. I love to hear your music and voice."

Marshall grinned. Although he'd never admit it, quotes like that meant a lot to him. Music was his art and part of who he was. Through it, he confessed his mistakes and weaknesses, giving people a rare glimpse of who he really was. It was something he took a lot of pride in. "How about I play something then?" he said. "Since I got this new string and all."

At her enthusiastic nod, he began a tune; something soft, a little playful and silly, but also sweet; something that reminded him of her. Once the melody was set, he created the lyrics:

This hero's here to save the day.  
She saved my bass,  
So what can I say?  
This song's for her,  
I'll play it slow.  
Our favorite tune,  
FM radio.  
Cause Fi, can't you see?  
Without you, Where would I be?  
Lost words, where to start?  
I stole your light,  
And you stole my heart.

His eyes were closed, and he let the melody drift through him, allowing it to expertly conduct his fingers. His father's words popped into his head from centuries before: "Never force your music, Marshall; let the music guide you." He didn't remember much advice from his father, but that quote had always stuck with him.

The notes to the song changed slightly into something a bit sad and longing, and Marshall adjusted his voice to this new tone:

So Fionna likes my sound,  
And she saved my life.  
Will she stick around?  
Cause the song's almost over,  
What is there to say?  
Fionna, please don't go away.

His eyes opened slowly, and reality gradually returned. It occurred to him what exactly he'd just sung and to whom. Reluctantly, he looked up to see Fionna staring at him with her cheeks tinted a deep red. If he could have blushed, he would have been a similar shade. Marshall loved his music, but he also had a tendency to say a bit too much through lyrics.

"I know how to play the flute," she said because she didn't have anything else to say. "Kind-of. But not guitar. Not like you know how to play."

Happy for the change of subject, he asked, "Would you like to learn?"

At her nod, he held out the instrument, and Fionna took it once again. She weighed it in her lap so the sharp blade wasn't cutting into her leg. Her fingers found a random fret and strummed it harshly, causing Marshall to wince. "No, pay attention to the sound each note makes and how they interact together." He pointed to each position on the bass, naming off the names of the notes and the sharps and flats.

"Here, I'll show you." Marshall crawled on the couch and sat behind her, so that each leg was on either side of her. Up until that point, he hadn't realized how close and intimate the position was, but since he was there, he decided to go along with it. It was too late to change anyway.

His hands wrapped around her to take control of the bass still in her lap. His chin rested on her shoulder, and he could feel the heat of her blush all the way down her neck. Her body tensed awkwardly at this new proximity. Perhaps it was the lingering memory of the dream that was driving him to this because he wasn't sure he'd be this close to her otherwise.

"Watch how my hands move."

And she did watch as his fingers expertly traveled along the instrument, creating a simple tune that she recognized from the concerts. "When you play music, you feel the notes. If you stare at the strings, you'll think too much and lose the emotion behind it."

His hands then wrapped around hers gently and guided it to the first note in the melody. Together, they played the chorus of his song, repeating it till Fionna was playing it by memory.

Marshall smiled as she took over his song. The notes were the same, but there was something different about her playing; something sweeter and innocent.

"Not bad, hero," he said.

"Who taught you how to play?"

He hesitated as his hands took over the instrument once again. "My dad."

"Oh…." It was the first time she'd ever heard him mention his father. Fionna wondered if his dad was anything like his mom. "Where is he now?"

Marshall shrugged. "Dead now."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

Her head rested against his collarbone as she listened to him play. Before long, he began humming the tune as well, and she could feel the deep vibration in his chest. She smiled in content as her eyes drifted shut. Cake would have a fit is she saw the two of them like this.

How many people could say the Vampire King played songs solely for them?

Sure, Marshall could be annoying and brash, sometimes cruel, and quite often very scary, but he had a smooth, soft singing voice that was raw and occasionally even sad. If songs are a glimpse into the soul, Marshall's were a big clear glass reflection.

"You're falling asleep," he said with a hint of accusation.

"No, I'm not. Keep playing."

"Most places have to pay me to perform."

"You've been selling out stadiums lately, Marsh. Your concert next week's sold out too. You wouldn't happen to have any extra tickets, would you? We were wanting to go."

"Yeah, I'm sure I could dig up a few. In fact…" He floated up from the couch, leaving her with the axe bass, and dug around in his side table drawer until he located a lanyard. He looped it over her head. "Come hang out with me after the show."

Fionna examined the laminated card on the lanyard. 'Marshall Lee and the Horror King's Wake the Dead Concert,' it read. 'VIP. Band.' "Whoa, that's totally math, dude!" she exclaimed. "But won't you need it?"

"Nah, they know who I am."

She smiled like the sunlight and tossed her arms around his body in a hug.

"Hey, easy, I'm still an injured victim here," he said lightly, and she loosened her grip on him.

"I've gotta head home before Cake pitches a fit." She frowned in an exaggerated fashion and imitated her sisters' voice. "What are you doin' over at that vampire's house so late anyway?"

Marshall scoffed.

"Oh! And before I forget," Fionna said, snapping a finger. "Some girl named Natalie is looking for you?"

His face fell as a heavy dread filled his eyes.

Fionna saw the instant change and cautiously asked, "Does that mean anything to you?"

He tried to shrug nonchalantly, but she could still see the weight in his expression. "Not a thing," he answered.

Once Fionna left, Marshall collapsed back onto his couch, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Natalie… Of course she'd be looking for him.

He picked up the axe bass and thought over the events of the night instead. Fionna had brought him back his axe. Why had he ever doubted her? After all, it wasn't like she was anything like Ashley.

NEXT CHAPTER: A KISS GOODBYE

_(A/N: So originally, this chapter didn't exist. At all. It was going to be just a tiny part next chapter about Fionna getting the Axe Bass and meeting Natalie. But you know what? Somehow, that evolved into this._

_I also wasn't sure whether or not I wanted the "teaching Fionna to play guitar" section in here either. I deleted it once, then readded it because I thought it was rather cute. The dream sequence went through about 10 different edits, and I'm still not sure I'm satisfied with it._

_There are a few different themes in this chapter I wanted to highlight. As always, please leave me a review, because encouragement keeps me writing. Who is Natalie? Good guy or villain? We shall see!_

_And there may be a slight delay with the next chapter. The holiday season is taking up all my free time.)_


	6. A Kiss Goodbye

_So who wants to go to a Marshall Lee and the Horror Kings Concert?!_

**Chapter Six: A Kiss Goodbye**

Marshall Lee was not one of the most loved citizens of Aaa.

Some of the more arrogant Candy People may even argue that he wasn't a citizen of Aaa at all. His real home was in the Nightosphere, and his house in Aaa was merely a temporary stay until some other area caught his attention. Given his traveling history and drifter personality, this theory was very likely.

If you were to ask Marshall Lee himself, he may say something different: He didn't want anything to do with the Nightosphere, but he didn't belong to Aaa either. The thought of being a citizen of a particular area made him uncomfortable. It sounded permanent and personal, and Marshall knew better than to assume others would want him as a neighbor.

Either way, there was one event where even the most vocal Marshall Lee- haters would ease up and concede that whatever Marshall may be - Demon, Vampire King, or otherwise- he was one hell of a musician. Tomorrow may be different, but for that event, he was a citizen, and they accepted him as such.

It was the night of the Marshall Lee and the Horror King's concert, and only those without tickets weren't excited. A certain bunny-eared hero was especially looking forward to it. She practically danced into the Candy Kingdom with Cake trailing behind, stopping only when she reached the castle.

"GUMBAALLL!" Fionna screamed from somewhere in front of the Castle Door. "We're going to be laaatttee!"

Cake flattened her ears against her skull, eyeing the last human like she had gone insane. "Ever heard of knocking, sweet thing?"

The large doors to the castle creaked open, and Peppermint Maid peered her red-striped head out. "I do apologize for the inconvenience," the maid said in her always-proper tone. "The Prince was not expecting you quite so early."

"It's cool. We can wait." But Fionna's impatient jittering said otherwise. She moved from foot to foot impatiently like an ADD kid in a Candy Kingdom going on a sugar high.

The maid stepped out and looped her hands behind her back to look prim and respectable. "I do ask that you keep an eye on the Prince. Marshall Lee's concerts can be rowdy at times. Gumball's smart, but he's not the strongest or most defensive."

"We'll keep an eye on him, Pepper," Cake replied. "We always do."

"And if I may offer a suggestion, I understand that Marshall Lee is your friend, but I must always advise others to keep an eye on any descendent of the Abadeer family line. Demonic creatures are never to be trusted no matter how they may act, and this is especially true of the Abadeers. They lack the same morality as creatures on this plane."

Cake narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You're talking like you've spent some time with them."

Peppermint Maid gave her a blank, empty look, but said nothing to confirm nor deny. "If you do choose to spend your time with vampires or demons, I would also suggest, if I may, to always keep the upper hand. So when and if things do take a turn for the worse, you have a way out."

"Glob, you guys, Marshall Lee isn't like that," Fionna said. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Cake flinched, knowing that no matter how many times they had this discussion, she'd never convince the stubborn human of anything. "I don't know, Fi. Sometimes when he's angry, he looks at others like he really could tear them apart for annoying him. It creeps me the math out."

With a petulant frown at the much shorter females, Fionna swiftly stormed passed the Peppermint Maid toward the staircase. "I'm going to get Prince Gumball."

"Fi, wait," Cake called.

"Ma'am, just be patient," the maid said. "He'll be down momentarily."

Fionna didn't even slow down. Her arms swung stiffly by her side as she made her way up the staircase. "If you're so afraid of Marshall, don't go to his concert!" she called back.

It was easy to tell which bedroom belonged to Prince Gumball. The doorway was oversized with ornate carvings around the frame. Fionna pounded on the door with more force than necessary and shouted, "What's taking so long, PG?"

The door opened, revealing a very calm and patient Prince Gumball. "The concert isn't for another two hours, Fionna. We have plenty of time."

Whatever Fionna was about to say died on her tongue as she took in the Prince's appearance. "What are you wearing?"

"Is this not casual enough? I wanted to look nice for the concert."

For a moment, Fionna didn't know what to say. She wasn't a very fashionable person, but even she couldn't let one of her friends go to a rock concert in a pink argyle sweater vest. "Do you have anything else you could wear?" Without waiting for an answer, she pushed past the prince and headed straight for his closet.

Gumball blinked in surprise as the adventuress dove into his clothes, tossing random pink items behind her. "H-hey! That's rather private, Fionna!"

"Is everything you have pink?" She held up a pair of white boxers covered with pink-wrapped lollipops and blushed.

"Fionna!" Gumball shouted indignantly, turning a deeper shade of pink himself. "That's really not proper!" He snatched the offending underwear from the adventuress and shoved the wadded up item into a dresser.

With a shrug, Fionna went back to searching, quickly scanning over each article. At last, she found an outfit she deemed suitable and shoved it into his arms, smiling hopefully at him all the while.

With a slight glare at her rude actions, Gumball stated, "I honestly don't see what's wrong with my outfit. I mean, you're wearing a long sleeve shirt with a bunny on it."

"This bunny's way hardcore, dude. It's got fangs, see?"

Not entirely convinced, he reluctantly went to his personal bathroom and changed. With a light pink undershirt and mauve cardigan, Gumball still looked like a dweeb, but at least he looked like a slightly ironic dweeb.

"Can we go now?" the prince said with a tiny note of complaint, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on one foot.

"Almost!" Fionna grabbed the crown from his head and placed it on the dresser, then beamed up at him with a wide smile. "Okay. Now we can go."

With the Prince traveling with Lord Monochromicorn and Fionna traveling with Cake, the four made it to the concert with enough time to spare. The sun was still visible over the horizon, and Marshall wouldn't be seen until it had set entirely. Gumball carried their tickets, knowing that if any of the others held onto them, they were much more likely to be torn, ripped, lost, or otherwise destroyed. He passed the tickets to a muscular cupcake with sunglasses, who tore them in half and opened the gate for the four. Fionna rushed in excitedly, her hands wrapped around Gumball's to pull him along. "Oh, man, this is so math!" she exclaimed, her eyes darting around in glee. A few passing wood nymphs eyed her VIP lanyard with envy.

A stage had been set up in a large empty field, and even then, the audience was packed. Lord Monochromicorn took to the air rather than deal with the crowds, and, with Cake clutching onto his mane, flew over the heads of the concert goers, practically swirling in a dizzying dance with his girlfriend. The audience decided to view him as a giant black streamer and cheered, raising their bottles in appreciation.

Fionna, on the other hand, was determined to get as close to the stage as possible, and she did so by dodging and ducking through the crowd, dragging a very frazzled prince behind her. Once she was close enough to clearly see the stage, she turned to the candy royal.

"It's, uhm, a bit crowded, don't you think?" Gumball shouted above the harsh noise of the concert-goers.

"Marshall's shows are always crowded, PG. Where have you been?"

"Not to a Horror Kings concert, apparently."

"You'll love it!"

But Gumball did not love it. The first act that came on, some heavy rock trio called Electric Shock, played a loud cacophony of songs that had no real melody and dark, gore-filled lyrics. The area smelled of heavy smoke, alcohol, and sweat. Gumball, who had his arms crossed to take up as little space as possible, was shoved from body to body. With every impact, he apologized to concert-goers that had better things to do that worry about a certain pink-haired prince.

Fionna seemed to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. She moved with the motions of the crowd, yelling cheers of encouragement even if she didn't care for the music. It was a bit like sparring and fighting, but with a musical accompaniment and no real winner.

By the time Electric Shock finished their set, the sun had set far beneath the horizon. The only lights were pointed toward the stage, casting the audience into an ominous, anticipating shadow. Caught up in the suspense, Fionna looped her arm around Prince Gumball's to pull him closer. Gumball was merely happy the crowd had stopped moving for an instant.

The Horror Kings consisted of four members, and each member stepped onstage one at a time to the climbing shouts of the audience. There was Bona, the drummer that had been with the band since the very beginning and the ghost of a once-famous musician. Brita was a blonde haired water witch and the lead guitarist. The newest member of the band, Andrew, was a pale blue-skinned wizard who strode onstage coolly, his hands buried in his tight jean pocket. He tossed his dark hair out of his eyes as he picked up his keyboard, smirking at the high-pitched shrieks of the females in the audience. And then, of course, there was Marshall Lee.

The lights dimmed further, and a strike of lightning cut through the air even though there wasn't a cloud in sight. Gumball squinted up to see if Lord Monochromicorn was the cause of it, but the black horse was camouflaged by the night skies.

Fog flooded the stage, thick and grey, casting the band members into silhouettes. Another strike of lightning cut through the air like an oncoming storm, followed by bats, hundreds of them, swarming the stage in waves.

"Oh, wow," the Prince said as he tilted his head back to take in the spectacle.

Fionna rolled her eyes. "Show off."

The bats flew upwards to hover center stage. In the midst of them, a figure took shape with a red axe strapped to his back. With a shock of electricity, a microphone appeared in his outstretched hand, its cord wrapping around his arm. Lifting his head slowly, Marshall narrowed his eyes and smiled into his audience.

The crowd screamed to harold his arrival. All hail Marshall Lee. The Rock God. The Vampire King.

His feet hit the stage as the fog thinned, signaling the beginning of the first song. His voice traveled through the field, heavenly almost and a direct contrast to the deep rhythms of his bass.

And the crowd loved him.

Marshall spotted Fionna and Gumball near the front and pointed at them with a wink. Two girls in front of the two shrieked and clutched onto each other, thinking he was referencing them.

Being distracted by the band's music and theatrics, Fionna hardly noticed the swift nymph of a girl that darted through the thin gaps between audience members and wisped through their breaths. The girl's slender hand clutched onto the lanyard hanging around Fionna's neck and effortlessly looped it over her head, giggling a high pitched laugh. "Hey, that's mine!" the adventuress screamed as she attempted to chase after the blue-haired thief. But she was neither as thin as the nymph nor as fast, and by the time someone moved out of her way, the culprit had all but vanished into the dense audience.

"That's pooped up, you lumping donkus!" she shouted in the off chance her voice would be heard.

While being shoved into a rather overweight neighbor, Gumball's eyes narrowed in a proud 'I told you so' fashion. "Are we having fun yet?"

No. She would not let this concert be a flop; Gumball was going to appreciate Marshall's music by the end of the night, so help her Glob. Raising her hand into the air, she shouted Cake's name at the top of her lungs, causing a few nearby people to wince. From somewhere in the dark skies, two tan and white hands stretched down and pulled up both the prince and the last human of Aaa. The two were placed on the back of Lord Monochromicorn, who was resting in an arch over the crowd.

"Welcome to the best seat in the house," Cake said smugly.

It was in fact a much better place than the crowds, and Fionna settled into her spot to watch the show.

Song after song, the band never lost their rhythm. With his eyes closed and the song flowing through him, Marshall hit every note effortlessly:

The bats have left the bell tower.  
The victims have been bled.  
Red velvet lines the black box  
Bela Lugosi's dead.  
Undead! Undead! Undead!

"It's starting to make sense to me," Gumball said as he watched the Horror Kings command that audience's attention. "The appeal, I mean."

"Told you, dude," Fionna answered.

"It's a glimpse into anarchy without a commitment; A balance between being civilized and being savage in a way." He paused to listen to the opening lines of the bridge. "The music trips the epinephrine centers to create a fight-or-flight response in the sympathetic nervous system. This compliments the whole idea of flirting with the evils of the Nightosphere from the safety of Aaa. It really is Marshall's specialty."

Fionna curled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She smiled fondly. "I just think it's talent."

"For this next song, I'm going to switch things up a bit." Marshall announced. He pulled back his hair from his face to look out over the audience. "This is a bit different, but I hope you'll like it. It'll be our last song for the evening." A nod to his bandmates signaled the beginning of the next song.

The tune was different; a bit softer and a bit more longing.

The world has ended,  
And you're what's left.  
You'll meet the day  
Till the sun has set.  
I could drink your blush  
And live in that rush  
Till the bombs  
Take away all our bets.

The blue stage light caught against the Prince's face to tint his skin a light violet. "Fionna, there's something I've been meaning to tell you." He kept his gaze steadily away from her. "As you know, every prince must sometime become a king. To do so, he must marry a queen. It's both logical and traditional."

Fionna's breath caught in her chest. She'd imagined this moment a hundred times in a hundred different ways, with a crown atop her head or his hand curled against hers. Or maybe they had kissed a kiss that was nothing like the chaste pecks on the cheek she was used to. But never here. Never at a Horror King show.

"Fionna…" His eyes steadily met her cautious stare. "I'm marrying the Sugar Princess, and I'd be honored if you could come to our wedding."

There comes a moment in everyone's life when the universe tilts, shifting a worldview just before the first words make an impact. The heart is as delicate as a wish on a falling star, and both can go up in smoke like a mushroom cloud following a detonation.

"Oh," Fionna said.

From somewhere in the distance, Marshall Lee's voice settled in the air:

I stole your light  
And you stole my heart.  
We're pretty and soiled  
And damned from the start.  
So Rupunzel, let's see your hair.  
Cause this ill-fated villain  
Can do nothing but stare.

She couldn't look at the Prince. His words repeated in her head, taunting her. Why did this even matter? She had been over Gumball for years now.

But her chest was tightening in a steel grip, and it was getting harder to breathe.

She smiled, and it was ugly and more akin to a grimace. "I'd be happy to go."

"Excellent! I can't wait for you to formally meet her."

Fionna had met the Sugar Princess once before. She was slim with elegant curves. Her long white hair fell straight to frame her tear-drop white face. Her big black eyes were doe-shaped and soft, and she moved with a slow and careful grace.

The Sugar Princess was everything Fionna was not.

The song ended with a wild applause.

Depressed, Fionna hid most of her face behind her knees, watching the band members vanish from the stage in a puff of smoke. She had to get away from Prince Gumball, but one look at Cake cuddling with Monochromicorn told her she didn't want to be anywhere near them. So she excused herself and slid down to the ground.

The audience was in a traffic jam on their way to the exit, and Fionna had to battle her way through the seas. Somehow, the effort was more annoying than it was before. At last, she reached the end of the crowds and ran toward the backstage entrance.

"Whoa, whoa!" A bear security guard said as he blocked her path with his paw. "Where do you think you're going, little missy?"

"I need to talk to Marshall Lee."

"Yeah?" He raised his eyebrows. "You and every other female out there."

Somehow, that made her feel even worse. "He gave me a pass, but someone stole it. Just ask him."

"Yeah, right. Take a hike, girly."

It was sheer luck that Bona happened to be floating through the area at that very moment. Seeing the dilemma, the drummer placed a hand on the bear's fuzzy shoulder and said, "Relax, Jerry. Marshall knows her. She's cool."

Not liking the idea of being wrong, Jerry the Bear glared, but opened the gate with a slight grumble anyway.

"I owe you like crazy whoa!" Fionna said to the chill ghost.

Bona put her arm around the much shorter girl's shoulder. "No worries. Any friend of Marshall's is a friend of mine."

The backstage area was much smaller than she expected. Ratty couches filled up most of the space, and there was hardly enough room to move past the stained coffee table. Brita sat in some guy's lap, laughing at something Andrew said. Andrew had an alcohol bottle in his hand and an arm wrapped around a pretty young girl who looked way too excited to be there. Marshall Lee was on a long couch, his head lowered as he idly strummed some notes on his bass guitar. He had put on a long sleeved dark grey hoodie at some point after the show ended. A mostly-empty glass of red wine sat on the table in front of him. And to Fionna's surprise, the thief of a nymph that stole her VIP pass was sitting beside him, her arms wrapped around his back and her chin resting on his shoulder.

All at once, Fionna was filled with a mixture of sorrow and rejection. The emotions pounded through her veins till she didn't know how to feel.

Marshall lifted his head and smiled. "Hey, Fi. Enjoy the show?"

"You know her?" the nymph said with a disgusted scowl.

Ignoring her, he said to the adventuress, "You should chill for a while. I think someone from the venue's bringing some snacks or something."

Fionna wrapped her arms tightly around herself as though to shield out her emotions. "Wanna walk outside with me? I think I need some fresh air."

With his eyebrows lowering in concern, Marshall said, "Uhh, yeah, sure." He placed his axe bass next to the couch.

"Marshall!" the nymph whined. She stood when he stood, wrapping her arms around his elbow. "Don't you want to stay? Maybe spend some time with me?" Her fingers trailed along his chest. "We can find some way to keep ourselves distracted."

Either his wound was still sensitive or he was sincerely annoyed by the girl because Marshall whipped around to face her with a slight hiss. "Does it look like I want to do that?!"

The girl gasped in shock, falling back onto the couch. Taking the opportunity, Andrew the Keyboardist sat beside her and whispered comforting words in her ears.

With a self-satisfied smirk, Marshall placed an arm around Fionna and escorted her out the door.

It was quieter outside than it had been before. Nearly everyone had already left the venue, making the night's darkness seem absolute.

Hovering next to her, Marshall shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. "So what has the heroine of Aaa all troubled?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Fionna answered truthfully. "Just…. Will you walk with me for a while?"

Obligingly, his feet touched the ground.

"I didn't mean literally," she added, shooting him a sly look, which he returned with a subdued sense of entertainment.

A staff member walked by, carrying a tray full of snacks backstage. As he passed, Marshall plucked a strawberry for himself and a cookie for Fionna. He bit into the fruit rather than drained the color and chewed it slowly. "I'm glad strawberries still exist," he said suddenly, eyeing the remaining half of his snack.

She stared at him in curiosity. Up until that point, she didn't even think it was possible for him to eat solid foods. The whole thing was just another point to add to the growing list of mysteries surrounding Marshall Lee. "Why wouldn't they?" she asked.

He grinned at her cryptically, shrugged, then drained the color from the rest of the strawberry and tossed the grey husk into a nearby bush. "So be honest with me. What did you think of the concert?"

"Your shows are always mathematical, Marsh." Up until the end, that is, but the band could hardly be blamed for that. Feeling uneasiness start to return, Fionna bit into her cookie. It was warm, and the melted chocolate was like some sort of therapy. She finished it off and licked a drop of chocolate from her finger.

"You think the reviewers will like it?"

For someone as confident as the Vampire King, he was certainly self conscious about his music. "They'd be idiots if they didn't," Fionna replied truthfully.

Marshall was quiet for a long while as the two wandered up the stairs and onto the empty stage. Without the hundreds of bodies crowding the floor, the deserted venue looked massive. He took the microphone and hesitated, looking out over the empty field.

"What is it?" she asked.

With shadows of his past filling his mind, he swallowed. "The world looked a little bit like this," he said. "After the war."

She looked out over the vast emptiness and tried to see what he saw. The ground was littered with crushed cups, crumbled up papers, and forgotten shoes; a subtle reminder of the chaos that had happened mere moments ago.

Marshall closed his eyes and hummed a sorrowful melody into the microphone. His gentle voice echoed through the barren wasteland of a field like a eulogy and fell over a deaf audience of debris. The song ended softly, and he slowly opened his eyes. He always had turned to music when he couldn't find the right things to say. It was the exact opposite of Fionna, who always held her emotion on a clearly-read flag.

The hummed song meant something completely different to her. "Marshall," she said on barely a breath. It was surprising that he heard and turned to look at her, but then again, he always did have superhuman hearing. She suddenly didn't know what to say. A quicksand had formed somewhere in her heart guts, stealing her words from her abruptly dry mouth.

He tilted his head as he tried to read her emotions. "Seriously, Fi. Something's up with you."

"I'm fine. Really." She shifted her feet under his critical stare, blinking back the threat of tears. No. There was no way she could cry in front of Marshall Lee Abadeer. He'd never stop teasing her for it. "Look, I think I'm going to head home," she said. "But thanks for hanging out with me. Your concert rocked." As soon as she turned around, he was hovering upside down in front of her.

"I don't think so. Something's bothering you, and I'm not letting you leave until you tell me."

Her tough glare was ruined when a tear trailed down her cheek. "You'll laugh at me."

"Only if it's funny." At her irritated glower, he added, "Okay, bad joke." He flipped upright in the air to make it easier to talk. "I won't laugh. Promise.

She let out a deep breath, her gaze absently focusing on the strings of his grey hoodie. "Gumball's getting married," she said softly.

"So?"

"To the Sugar Princess."

For some reason, an angry spark was forming somewhere in his chest. "I thought you were over him."

"I am."

"So what's the problem?!" His words were practically a shout. Since when did her crush on Prince Gumball affect him so?

"I don't like him like that, but it still hurts, you know?"

"Not really. If you're over him, why does it matter who the hell he marries? It's not like he was sworn to you."

The words hit her hard, and Fionna found her voice raising to match his. "I guess I can't expect you to understand. You've never been the last of anything."

As one of the few survivors of the Mushroom War, Marshall felt the small spark within him blaze to life. "What is there to understand?! You fell in love with a defenseless pink prince who used you as a bodyguard and then you got upset when he didn't return your affections. Did you expect him to change his mind?!" Some nagging part in the back of his head told him he was being harsh, but it was drowned out by his demon-inherited temper. His teeth were a bit sharper than they had been before, and a red burning flame alit in the black of his eyes. "Or even better, what about the time you thought dating the Flame Prince was a good idea? He could have killed you! Just being near him was dangerous!"

With hands curled into fists, she glared down the Vampire King. "What, more dangerous than being near YOU? The King of Darkness, Ruler of the Vampires?! You act like a citizen, but you're still just an unpredictable monster."

The anger all at once drained from his face, his features subtly shifting back to normal. "What?"

"At least Gumball and the Flame Prince didn't have the urge to eat me or drink my blood or whatever. You can't even taste anything unless it's the color of blood. Do you have any idea how messed up that is?!"

It was like another sharp object had been driven through his heart. Marshall hovered closer to the ground, staring at the furious human girl in shock. He knew that was the opinion of a lot of people. But Fionna? "Look, you're right," he said abruptly, closing his eyes and dragging his fingers through his hair. "I shouldn't have pried into your personal business. You probably have places to be anyway."

As he turned to leave, the impact of her words hit her. "Wait, Marshall," she said, grabbing onto his hand before he floated away. "I didn't mean that."

His expression was entirely neutral as he looked at her.

"Sometimes words just vomit from my mouth when I'm frustrated, and they're dumb and silly and untrue." In her desperation for his trust, she entwined her fingers through his. "You're not a monster. Not even close. I've fought enough monsters to know, and you're not one."

His eyes lowered to the ground. "It's none of my business if you like Prince Gumball anyway."

"But I don't like him. He's a cool guy, but I don't want to date him."

"Then why are you so upset that he's marrying some Sugar Princess?"

Fionna wasn't even sure she understood it until the answer tumbled from her mouth. "Because I'll never be like her. I'll never be this elegant, loved Princess."

"And why would you ever want to be?"

She roughly wiped away a stray tear with the palm of her hand. "I have big fat thighs and bunny teeth, and the one time I went to a tea party, I broke all the fine china. I'm not pretty or charming or ladylike. No prince would ever want me."

"Then how about a king?"

"What?" The word had barely left her mouth when his lips were pressed tightly against hers. Her thoughts evaporated like smoke, her eyes widening in shock.

It wasn't what she expected from a kiss from Marshall Lee. She imagined him to be vicious or harsh, but after the initial awkwardness, when she melted against him and closed her eyes in acceptance, the kiss was actually quite gentle and sweet. His lips were soft, not cold nor possessive like expected. He placed his cool hand on the back of her neck, causing a chill to travel down her spine. It was contrasted by the deep blush that heated up her cheeks.

And all too soon, it was over.

Marshall backed away from her, looking just as shocked as she was. His hand was still on the back of her neck, and for a while, neither of them knew what to do. Fionna was suddenly very aware of her rapid breathing and his complete lack of breath, a reminder of who exactly just kissed her.

'Oh my glob,' she thought. 'Cake is going to kill me.'

"… Uhmm?" It was the only thing she could say.

He blinked and backed away from her like she had abruptly developed some contagious disease. "Sorry, I didn't mean..." He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I should probably go. We can talk about this later."

"But wh-"

"I don't know when I'll be back," he interrupted.

"Wait, where are you going?"

His shoulders raised in a shrug. "I have kingly stuff to do. Responsibilities and junk. Nothing you should worry about. I'll see you sometime, Fi." The next thing she knew, he was flying upward, leaving her there alone.

With all the events of the night compiling into one giant emotional ball of bewilderment, she shouted into the sky, "What the flip, Marshall Lee! You can't just leave me like this!" In her frustration, she grabbed an empty soda can and tossed it at his feet, but he was far too high for her to reach at that point.

So Fionna was left alone on an empty stage, more confused than ever before.

NEXT CHAPTER: THE VANISHING ACT

_(A/N: In the words of LSP, DRAMA BOMB. Multiple ones in this Chapter. It was like a Drama Bomb Raid._

_I may go back and revise this chapter again. I'm not sure. The next chapter will be up pretty soon since it's not a very long chapter. It's basically leading up to Chapter 8, which is going to be fun. _

_The first song lyrics in this chapter are from Bela Lugosi's Dead by the Bauhaus. It's not really the type of music I'd picture Marshall playing, but the lyrics fit, and I'd like to hear a more rock version of the song (which some people would consider Bauhaus blasphemy.) The other lyrics are written by me._

_And sorry for the delay in uploading this. Christmas and the new year took up most of my time, then my aunt passed away, and I was very close to her. Thank you for your patience._

_And as always, thank you so much for your reviews. You guys rock. Someone even said they would reference me in their fanart which is super awesome! Especially since I can't draw. At all.)_


	7. The Vanishing Act

_(A/N: Just in time for my birthday tomorrow!)_

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE VANISHING ACT

Marshall Lee had been gone for two and half weeks.

During the first few days, Fionna was convinced he was just being pouty and would show up eventually. He couldn't vanish forever, right? But when he didn't just appear, she stopped by his house only to find it empty. _Okay_, she thought, _No problem. I'll just visit Mr. Abadeer during the day when he can't go outside._ But even then, the lights were out, everything in his home was undisturbed, and most alarmingly, some of his more valuable possessions were missing.

On the second week, Fionna knew something was wrong. Did he plan on returning at all? He'd said he didn't know when he'd be back. Did he mean when or if? What if he'd left Aaa for good? So she went in search of the missing vampire, stopping by his regular haunts in the hopes that someone knew his location. No one did.

So on the third week, Fionna was convinced it was her fault. Somehow, she was the one that initiated the kiss, which he'd never wanted, and he was doing everything in his power to get away from her. Because that was just the effect she had on guys. Or maybe her harsh words had chased him away. No matter what scenario played out in her mind, she was to blame.

And then came the question of _why_? Why did Marshall Lee kiss her? It was no small secret that he was somewhat of a flirt and a womanizer. She'd seen him pick up girls at shows or wink and grin at a shop-girl in his devil-may-care way. Marshall enjoyed the attention from the opposite sex, and he had the reputation to prove it. But Fionna was different, wasn't she? She was his friend, not some spazzy fan girl.

And how did she feel about the whole thing? Sure, Marshall was attractive and crazy talented and fun to be around, but he could also be unsympathetic and callous at times. Others' lives typically meant very little to him, and he would only help someone if the mood struck him. In that aspect, he was unpredictable. If someone were to catch him on a bad day, he'd practically bite their heads off. But still…. Marshall was there if she ever really needed him. And sometimes, when he flew her into the air or sang a song or teased her with that mischievous spark in his eye, her heart flip-flopped and cart wheeled in her chest. But that didn't mean anything, did it?

These were the thoughts that plagued her mind as she lay cocooned in her covers late one morning.

"Are you ever going to get up?" Cake called from the doorway. "I'm making waffles."

Fionna made a sleepy inhuman sound and tightened her comforter around her body.

The bed indented to the side as her sister sat next to her. "Baby, are you upset about Gumball's wedding?"

She wasn't sure how exactly she felt about the wedding, but it seemed unlikely that she was still upset over it, so she whispered quietly, "No."

"What is it then? You've been depressed for days now. Is it because of Marshall Lee?"

Cake didn't know about the kiss. More accurately, Cake couldn't know about the kiss. If the calico found out that the Vampire King was making moves on her sister, she'd claw his eyes out and possibly Fionna's too.

Discouraged, Fionna tossed the covers over her head and muttered, "He could have told us where he was going."

"He probably didn't want us to know. That boy has more secrets than the Thieves Guild. I bet he's up to some chaos in the Nightosphere right now."

"He tells me stuff if I ask."

"No, he just teases or distracts you until you change the subject. He's really good at that."

At that, she pouted a bit. Marshall Lee told her secret stuff all the time. She was his confidant, his best buddy… right?

Before she could continue the conversation, someone knocked on the front door. Which was good because Fionna didn't really know how to respond. She stayed in her room while Cake went to see who the visitor was. After a moment, she heard the cat say, "Haven't seen you in a while."

Marshall Lee! was Fionna's first thought, and she leapt out of bed and rushed downstairs. But when Gumball stared back at her from the front door, her hopes deflated.

"Good morning, Fionna," the Prince said. "Did I wake you?"

She was suddenly aware of her red pajamas and unkempt appearance. Self consciously, she tucked a stray lock of hair beneath her bunny hat. "No."

"Excellent!" He held up two envelopes with an elaborate pink wax seal. "I wanted to deliver a formal invitation to the wedding."

"Oh. Thanks." The took the envelope and dragged her fingers along the embellished designs.

Cake took her invitation and said, "Glob, PG, maybe you can talk this girl out of her funk."

Raising one pink eyebrow, Gumball asked, "You've been upset?"

"No, I'm fine."

"You're not," Cake said.

"Not really upset. More like… concerned." Seeing the stares from the other two, Fionna rolled her eyes. "I'm just worried about Marshall Lee. He's been gone for ages now."

Gumball's face immediately emptied of emotion. "Ah," he said. And then, "Well, I'm sure he's fine." His tone was doubtful.

"You don't know that."

"Marshall is a powerful individual. I'm certain he can handle anything the world throws at him."

Both Cake and Fionna narrowed their eyes in suspicion.

"Waitaminute," Cake said, pointing one clawed finger at the prince. "You know where Marshall Lee is!"

"What? Don't be silly." For someone that dealt in politics, Gumball was a terrible liar.

"You totally do!" Fionna exclaimed. "You have to tell me, PG." She grabbed the prince by his expensive pink collar. "Tell meeee…"

"Honestly, Fionna!" He pried his shirt from the adventuress' fingers. "Marshall Lee has survived a thousand years. I doubt this time will be any different."

"If you don't tell me, PG, I'm only going to worry more and then you may get kidnapped by the Ice Queen, but I'll be too distracted to save you and get hurt and possibly even die. So! You should tell me." There was a beat of silence as Gumball eyed her doubtfully. "I may die. True story, brotha."

He sighed in defeat, pinching the bridge of his nose between two pink fingers. "If I tell you, you must swear to keep it between us and not let Marshall Lee know I told you."

"Totally. Royal pinky swear."

When Gumball took a deep breath, the two girls braced themselves for a long explanation. "Essentially, every eight years, the King of the Vampires must return to his realm to make agreements and laws for the next eight years. During this time, if anyone disagrees with him, he must defend his title."

Cake hold up her paws. "Hold up. Defend his title?"

"Vampire monarchy operates differently than most other monarchies. It's a civilization based on violence, strength, and power. If there's a challenge, Marshall must prove that he is powerful enough to rule through fighting."

Fionna blinked. "Like… fight fight? As in fighting for his life?"

"Essentially, yes."

"What the flip, PG? You didn't think this was sort of important?!"

"It is important, Fionna. Which is why I can't let you get involved. It doesn't concern us."

Her jaw dropped in shock. "What do you mean, doesn't concern us? Our friend is battling for survival right now."

Gumball looked away from her briefly, and in that moment, there was a sadness in his expression that made him look years older. "He took on that burden when he agreed to the title of Vampire King." His gaze returned to her. "Perhaps you don't have many urgent responsibilities, but some of us do. And some of those responsibilities require us to fight on our own. As a prince and almost king, I can understand that. This is a battle Marshall Lee must fight by himself- Not as our friend, but as a Vampire Ruler. I know that may be hard for you to accept, but I must ask you to trust me on this."

Fionna didn't know what to say. The wheels in her head turned over each word as she tried to take in the information. How could Gumball just abandon a friend that could be dying as they spoke. Marshall may have responsibilities as a king, but she had responsibilities as a hero. "Okay," she said. The lie felt numb on her tongue.

"Good." His smile was muted as he placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Try not to worry about him. He'll be home before you know it."

When Prince Gumball left for the Candy Kingdom once more, Fionna knew she had to find a way to her vampire friend. But how? Where was the Vampire Realm anyway? None of her friends would know. Well, except for Gumball, but there was no way he'd tell her. There was one other person that could take her there, but Fionna could hardly call her a friend and just contacting the woman was dangerous on its own. If this was going to work, Fionna would have to be sneaky and smart. So she went to a place where information was easily available: The library.

There, in the rarely-touched New Age section of the Candy Kingdom Library, she found the exact book she needed. The massive tome was ancient, its brown leather cover bent and worn, but the embellished title was still legible. The librarian eyed the cover suspiciously with a frown, but said nothing as she scanned the barcode and handed the heavy book to the Adventuress. Fionna laughed nervously as she shoved it into her backpack to hide the evidence. After all, Demon Summoning for Beginners wasn't exactly light reading.

But if it could get her to Marshall Lee the Vampire King, she was willing to take her chances.  
*****************

NEXT CHAPTER: HANNAH ABADEER: RULER OF THE NIGHTOSPHERE

_(A/N: This is the shortest chapter I've ever written, so sorry about that. Not much happened in this chapter, but I'll make it up in the next one! To be honest, I wrote most of the next chapter ages ago anyway. Maybe we'll finally even find out who Natalie is... hehe.)_


	8. Hannah Abadeer:Ruler of the Nightosphere

Chapter Eight: Hannah Abadeer: Ruler of the Nightosphere

The candles were lit against each edge of the five pointed star, which was encased in a circle of white salt. The glow of the flames cast long flickering shadows across the wooden floor of the tree house living room. In the very center of the circle, positioned inside the star, was a bespectacled, ridiculous smiley face that heralded the entrance to the Nightosphere.

Fionna chewed on her lip as she examined her work. She had followed the instructions in her Demon Summoning book to a tee, but her circle was imperfect, which made her nervous. What if it didn't work? What if she opened a portal that could not be contained? She could literally unleash the leader of a hell onto the unsuspecting citizens of Aaa. But to get to the land of vampires, who else could she summon?

Fionna had never really spoken to Hannah Abadeer without Marshall Lee nearby. Hannah was evil: Soul-sucking, plotting, sadistic evil. Without Marshall there with her, Fionna had nothing to protect her against the immortal demoness' thirst for chaos and souls. Even Cake, asleep upstairs, didn't know what was happening in the living room.

The circle had to work.

Gritting her teeth together in determination, she took the final ingredient needed for the spell- Bug Milk- and doused the goofy smiley face in the liquid while chanting: "Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum!"

A few seconds of tense silence.

And then the black emptiness of a portal swirled into view like a breathing whirlpool. The air left Fionna's lungs in a rush and was pulled as an offering into the abyss. The portal grew larger. Its darkness was punctuated by strikes of lightning. Somewhere within the black depths that transfused through the room like ink, a skeleton materialized. The bare bones were then quickly wrapped in layers of tendons, muscles, cartilage, and pale, grey skin. A tight-fitting dress suit and pencil skirt highlighted the figures' drastic, feminine curves, and the legs were shaped with sheer thigh-highs and deadly red heels. The creatures' joints contorted unnaturally, and as she rolled her head in a circle, her limbs snapped back into a semi-normal position. Long black hair tumbled down to her ankles, thick and immaculately groomed. Thin red slits of pupils rolled down from the yellow of her eyes and focused on the young human girl before her.

Let it never be said that Hannah Abadeer didn't know how to make an entrance.

The demon ruler tilted her head thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as though she was trying to solve a riddle. Then she snapped her fingers and pointed to the adventuress. "Finn, right?"

"Fionna."

"Oh, right, right. Marshall's little friend. Where is Marshall anyway?"

"He's not here." She tried to keep the strength in her voice. Although Hannah may act and sound friendly, Fionna knew better than to trust her. "That's why I contacted you."

"Really now?" Hannah grinned, and it was all sharp fangs and piercing glints of the eyes. "Interesting." She started to move forward, but came to abrupt halt when she ran into the invisible barrier of the circle. Emotions flickered over her face- First surprise, then anger. Then Hannah tilted her head back and smiled down at the human girl, something akin to respect flashing through her yellow-red eyes.

Fionna didn't expect that last one, and she tried to hide her shock as she lifted her chin in defiance to the Lady of Evil.

"Well, you've obviously put some thought into this. I haven't been trapped in a circle in centuries." She had the kind tone of a car salesman. "Did Marshall teach you this?"

"No. I got it from a book."

"Figures. Never give anyone your calling card unless you're bored and need some extra slaves, I always told him. That's fine, though, we can do this formally. I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the good ol' sell-your-soul days anyway."

Fionna clutched the handle of her sword tighter. "I'm here to ask you a favor."

Hannah held her clawed hand out to the side, and in an instant, a chair from the kitchen flew into the outstretched palm as though drawn by a magnet. She carefully placed the chair down in the middle of the circle and sat with legs crossed, looking both confident and powerful at the same time. "I'm all ears."

Fionna didn't know Hannah could do that, and she got the distinct impression that the demon woman was showing off and wanting Fionna to know she could pull her into the circle if she so chose. Feeling all the more intimidated by the piercing gaze, the adventuress said, "I want you to tell me how to reach Marshall Lee."

"And why would you want to do that? You'd be eaten alive. Literally."

"Because he's fighting for his crown right now, and I can help him. I'm a fighter."

Hannah waved one hand. "He's an Abadeer. He'll be fine."

"But he's your son. Aren't you worried about him?"

"He's strong enough to hold his own," she answered with a shrug. "He knows what he's doing."

A loud, outdated ringtone cut through the air, making Fionna jump. Hannah winced. "One moment, I have to take this." She held out her hand, where a snail appeared and transformed into a phone. "Abadeer speaking." The toe of her red high heels twisted into the chalk smiley face, smearing its pupil. "Mm-hmm… Of course I still want the merger to take place. Oh, really now? Then do your job and convince him. What do I pay you for? Yes, I know I don't technically pay you… " She smiled apologetically at Fionna and rolled her hands in a 'get on with it' fashion. "Look, I'm kind-of in the middle of a deal right now, so I can't be bothered. Just chain him to the torture rack and turn the wheels until he sees our point of view. He should sign the merger in no time. Easy as pie." She ended the call with a flick of the wrist, causing the phone to evaporate into nothing once more. "Minions these days, amIright?"

"Uh, I guess?" Fionna shifted her weight to the other foot, her gaze darting over to the clock. "Look, can you at least take me to him?"

"I could, but isn't that kind of a dangerous place for a…. What are you, a troll?"

"Human."

"Seriously? I thought you people were dead."

"Nope," Fionna answered. "Still alive."

"Yet you want to go to a land with a bunch of vampires? You know, whoever kills you would be guilty of genocide. Or would that be omnicide?" Her grin widened. "Tell you what. I'll help you out this time."

"You'll tell me how to get there?"

"I'll do even better. I'll show you."

She eyed the tall grey woman before her warily.

"Come ooonn," Hannah bargained smoothly. "You can trust me."

"I don't know… You did go on an evil rampage last time you were here."

Hannah shrugged dismissively. "All in the past, Fionna. We're buds now. You stopped that riot in the Nightosphere last year, I sent you back home to Aaa without killing you. Think of this as a symbol of our mutual respect toward one another."

She was lying. Fionna knew it and recognized it. And yet, the young human had already come this far… How could she turn back now? Cautiously, her toe reached out and scraped against the line of salt, breaking the circle.

Brushing back a lock of long black hair, Hannah stood slowly and stepped over the broken line with confidence. Even though Fionna had grown taller over the years, the other woman still towered over her in height. The joints in the demoness' elbow snapped back eerily as she wrapped one long, thin arm around the teens' shoulders and pulled the younger girl closer to her. "See how I'm not devouring your soul right now? I'm a lady of my word when I want to be," Hannah said. "Now, how far into the Dark Forest have you been?"

Fionna blinked in surprise. "I've seen pretty much all of that forest."

"Bet you missed that cleverly hidden portal, huh?"

"What?"

"Precisely!" Her red-painted nails clutched into Fionna's shoulder. "Hold on, girly, teleportation's a bitch."

A thick cloud of pale grey smoke enveloped the two, and it felt tangible against Fionna's tingling skin. She rubbed against her arms, trying to rid herself of the nasty parasitic sensation that crawled against her flesh like maggots or spiders or bloodsucking leeches. Somewhere in the distance, she was aware of Hannah Abadeer still holding tight onto her shoulders with her blood red nails. Her feet were off of the ground then, she was certain of it, but she couldn't concentrate on that thought; her lungs were quickly filling with ash and sulfur and fire-like sparks. Was she dying? This wasn't part of the plan at all.

And then, the assault on her senses dulled to a tolerable state. Coughing out the remains of the ashes in her lungs, Fionna straightened and examined her new surroundings: Dark, gnarled trees. The unnatural silence. The absence of light.

The Dark Forest.

"This isn't right," she said, looking back at Hannah. "The Vampire Kingdom isn't in the forest."

"Sure it is, kiddo," Hannah replied cheerfully. "Years ago, after a great big civil war between demons and vampires, a piece of the Nightosphere was exiled to another plane, where it was folded into a pocket of existence and closed off to most every other connected world, including the Nightosphere itself. The vampires were the ones that claimed this kingdom."

"Oh."

"Ever wonder what made the Dark Forest so dark?"

"I just figured it was the creepy trees," Fionna replied, and the naivety of her response made her feel silly.

"That's not it. This place is the barrier between this world and the Vampire Kingdom." In the darkness, Hannah's red eyes glowed like embers. "Don't let my son fool you with that little friendship you two have. Vampires are one of the most ruthless races you'll ever meet. Get a kingdom of them, and that sort of evil seeps out, creeps into bones or trees or earth and infects. Weaker souls have been possessed by it. Most creatures shy away from it. But you're not most creatures are you, Fionna?"

A chill fluttered down her spine, and Fionna was suddenly aware of the eerie, motionless silence surrounding her. "I'm not afraid of vampires," she said.

Hannah smiled, showing off her pointed teeth. "Never said you were. You do spend an awful lot of time with Marshall Lee, after all." She held out one hand, and Fionna's sword appeared. "You dropped this during the trip down here."

The adventuress reached for it, and Hannah jerked it back. She dragged one finger along its edge. "Did you know this blade's sealed in demon blood?" Her gaze seemed to pierce through Fionna's soul. "That's interesting. Very interesting."

"It's my favorite sword. Give it back!"

"I wonder what demon was slayed for this little weapon?" Seeing the human girl's worried expression, Hannah rolled her eyes. "It's useless where you're going." But she handed it back to the younger girl anyway.

"It's always helped me out before."

Hannah scowled. "Here, this would be a better choice." In her hand materialized a long, wooden sword with a metal handle. She held it out to Fionna, who eyed it guardedly. "It's all the things you love about a stake in the form of a blade," she explained.

Fionna took the new sword and weighed it in her palm. It was lighter than her demon blood weapon.

Off to the side, Hannah chanted a phrase in Latin and, with a wave of her hand, opened a swirling portal to the Vampire Kingdom. "There you go. A nice gateway to Marshall Lee."

"Are you coming?" Fionna asked.

"Nope, you're on your own. I'm not allowed in that realm, and I'm not in the mood to start a war with my son's kingdom today."

"Oh." She stared at the Lady of Evil for a long moment. "Do I need to make the portal to the Nightosphere?"

Hannah smirked, and Fionna could tell the demoness was hoping she'd forget. "No, I can do it myself." Using her hands, she drew out the smiley face into the air, where it glowed a burning orange, and chanted the phrase to open the portal.

Before she left, Fionna called out, "Thank you!"

Hannah turned back around, her eyes glinting. "I'm sure I'll figure out some way for you to repay me."

And with those cryptic words, she returned to the Nightosphere.

In the silence that followed, Fionna was certain that somehow, she had made a terrible, deadly mistake. Then, swallowing down her nervousness, she stepped through the portal and into the Vampire Realm.

NEXT CHAPTER: THE HEIR OF NOTHING IN PARTICULAR

_(A/N: So Marshall Lee is returning next chapter, and so is Natalie. Promise._

_I love writing story arcs, and I feel like things are starting to connect here. The monster in the forest, for example, or the forest itself, or even the title Into the Dark. I hope I'm keeping everyone's attention still. _

_When I first started writing this fanfiction, I remember telling my roommate that I wanted the genderbent version of Hunson Abadeer in there. Cause if Hunson had a fanclub, I'd totally be in it. I just love any character with moral ambiguity, and I really wanted to portray that here. Did Hannah genuinely want to help Marshall or Fionna, or was she in it for her own personal gain? Either way, we haven't seen the last of her in this story._

_Sidenote: Peppermint Maid was the last person to check out the Demon Summoning for Beginners book. FYI._

_Thank you so much for the reviews and faves and follows. They give me the inspiration to keep writing.)_


	9. The Heir of Nothing in Particular

_A/N: Alright, so I know there was a LONG delay in getting this chapter to you, and I apologize for that. I was working on my cosplays, which took up a LOT of my time. The cosplays were a huge success and featured on TokyoPop's website, as well as . They were a Sailor Moon/Adventure Time crossover, and you can check them out via my Cosplay page- The link is on my profile. Now that I'm finished with them, I can write again, thankfully. I'll definitely try to upload more often. Without further ado..._

Chapter Nine: The Heir of Nothing in Particular

Once through the portal, Fionna found herself atop a steep, rocky hill overlooking an alternate dimension version of the Dark Forest. A town had been erected about a mile in the distance. A black castle with sharp towers and elaborately carved pillars stood surrounded by numerous smaller houses. It was the vampires' answer to the Candy Kingdom, and every feature, from the dark colors to the intense spiked corners, was a contrast to the Candy Castle's pastels and fluffed confection structures.

The Vampire Kingdom was not completely unlike the Nightosphere. It certainly still smelled the same, with a scent that was reminiscent of heat and ashes and the earth before a storm. The skies to the left were the same burning red that bled over the horizon like a massacre. But to the right, above the black, sharp castle, the color shifted to an ashy navy as though all the color had been drained.

So Marshall had a kingdom after all. "Neat," Fionna muttered.

The trek to the castle was quiet, and when there was a noise, such as a fluttering twill somewhere in the woods, the adventuress tensed for battle. But no creature bothered her, and she made it to the town in no time.

There was no gate surrounding the houses. Who needed one when your town was full of vampires? So Fionna simply skittered around the sides of buildings, pressing her body tight against the shadows even though vampires could see well in the dark and her efforts did very little. When a vampire couple floated by, she dove for a shop corner to watch them from the sidelines. They were both tall and thin. He had curled red hair, and his partner wore high heels that hovered uselessly over the gravel sidewalk. The woman laughed and entwined her arm around the man's.

They didn't look evil, Fionna thought. But Dimple Plants looked innocently harmless, and she'd seen first hand what those creatures turned into. Plus, she never did find out whether or not there was a Human Vampire war. This could very well be enemy territory. She wouldn't take her chances here.

"Oi, look what we have here, Brent," a voice said from behind her.

She spun around, her fists clenching in case she had to fight.

Two vampires stood behind her, one with a blonde Mohawk, and the other with a leather jacket and shoulder length curled hair. Both sported a gold badge that identified them as town security.

The long haired one- Brent, apparently- dragged his eyes over her blue outfit and scowled. "What is it exactly?"

"I'm a human," Fionna answered. "And you'd better back away, dudes, or I'll kick in your buns."

"Oh, this one's got some spunk, Drew," Brent said, narrowing his eyes with a slight smirk.

"She said she's hyooman. Hyoomans taste like sewer."

"Not all of them."

Fionna swallowed and took an involuntary step back. The movement caused both vampires to focus their attentions on her. _They're predators_, she thought. _So I can't act like prey. Be confident._

"Which one of us gets her?" Mohawk Drew asked. He had an accent that Fionna couldn't quite place.

"You got the last one. It's only right that I get this one."

No way. Making a sudden, gambling decision, Fionna blurted. "So I hear the Vampire King's in town."

This gave both vampires a pause. "He is," Brent said. "Why? Do you want to challenge him?" The two laughed at that.

"Not even close! He's brutal. I'm just glad it's the two of you and not him I have to face. Thank you so much for keeping me away from the King."

The vampires looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

Ten minutes later, she was being carried through the Vampire Castle by two easily-fooled security guards.

"You're in for it now," Brent said, holding his head up in a self-satisfied way. "The Vampire King doesn't tolerate intruders."

Fionna wondered if the two had even laid eyes on Marshall Lee, much less knew him.

The inside of the castle matched the outside: Accents of deep red curtains and bold, intricate black carvings. It was much more impressive and regal than any structure she'd seen in the Nightosphere. The staircases they floated over spiraled upward to the second floor, where a large door stood as the central feature. Her captors didn't even bother to knock before shoving their way through the door unceremoniously.

It took her a second to process the scene in front of her:

A rich red carpet led a pathway down the center of the room and up a short series of steps. Standing on one side of the red path was a brown-haired male vampire, who had his head bowed low before a throne as he read off statistics from elaborate sheets of paper. An untouched bowl of red pomegranates and cherries sat on a pedestal nearby. But the throne was empty, and its owner- a certain Vampire King- was floating about 10 feet above it, on his back, one hand behind his head, looking idly at his fingernails in obvious boredom. He certainly didn't dress like royalty while here. He still wore his trademark button-up plaid shirt, ripped denim jeans, and red tennis shoes.

Drew cleared his throat with a loud, "Ahem!" Immediately, the room fell into complete silence. The brown-haired vampire turned to look at them with his lip curled in annoyance.

"May we help you?" he bit out.

"We're here to speak to the Vampire King," Brent demanded.

At last, Marshall Lee dragged his gaze down to his guests, and at once, his eyes widened in absolute shock. If not for the current situation, Fionna would have laughed. She had never seen him so surprised and caught off guard.

With his attention on them, Drew and Brent bowed low at the waist. When Fionna didn't follow suit, they tugged at her sleeve in suggestion. She jerked her hand back. No way was she going to bow to her best guy friend.

Her refusal must have snapped Marshall back to his senses. He blinked a few times, then floated down to the ground. "Hey, look, you guys have brought my dinner. Fantastic. Now everyone get out!"

"But, milord," the grey-haired vampire began.

"I have important kingly things to do, and I can't do these things on an empty stomach, so come back later with the reports or whatever. See ya!"

Reluctantly, the three others left the room with confused glances back. Once the door was shut, Marshall spun to face her, dragging his fingers through his hair. "What-" He hesitated, recalculating his question. "How and WHEN-" But those questions escaped him too.

Emotions were rushing through Fionna- Relief that he was okay, joy at seeing him again, and annoyance at how he had acted. So she quickly weighed her feelings to determine which emotion was more prominent, balled her hands into fists, and punched him hard against his upper arm.

He recoiled back in the air while cradling his injury, scowling at her to show off his sharp teeth. "What was that for?!" he shouted.

She stomped her foot with a growl of her own. "THAT was for leaving me like that, you big jerk!"

He glowered at her for a moment as he chose his next words carefully. Then, with eyebrows drawn together, he asked, "Do you have any idea where you are?"

"Yes! I was worried about you, Marshall Lee! I thought you left because of me, then I found out you were here, and you're just living like a… a…" Her arms flailed in the air.

He raised one eyebrow. "Like a king?"

She glared at him.

"How did you even get here?" he said. "It's not exactly a safe place for mortals, you know." With a sudden scowl, he asked, "It was Gumball, wasn't it? It's like he's _trying_ to get you killed."

Insulted at everyone's lack of confidence in her fighting abilities, she crossed her arms. "For your information, I came here all on my own. Now tell me the truth, Vampire King." She poked his chest for emphasis. "Are you in danger while here?"

The muscles in his jaw clenched, which was all the answer she needed.

"Then I'm not going anywhere." And she dug her black heels into the shiny floor to prove her point.

Knowing her stubborn personality, Marshall sighed and tilted back in the air. "Look, Fi, I know it's terribly hard for you to be separated from my awe-inspiring sexy self and all, but this is sort of an important and delicate thing I'm involved in. People could die if something goes wrong. Wars could be started. I'm not the King of a fluffy candy world. I'm the Vampire Ruler and Prince of Demons. They WANT violence to happen. And no offense, Fi, but you're not exactly the poster girl of peace."

"I can be non-violent when I want to be!" At his doubtful look, she snapped, "Well, what about you? You're all about causing trouble. You're like Marshall Annoying Lee the Prankster King. If you can be here, then so can I!" She held her head up in pride over her argumentative point.

"I know how to deal with vampires, Fionna. Because I AM one." He paused, then added, "And I'm not annoying."

"I beg to disagree." The unexpected feminine voice caused both Fionna and Marshall to turn toward the center of the room. There, sprawled sideways across the throne was the raven-haired Natalie with the bowl of red pomegranates in her hand. Her clothing had certainly changed since the first time Fionna had met her in the forest: The black jeans she wore were skin tight and ended with a pair of killer high heels. Her green shirt was form fitting and highlighted with a black fur scarf around her neck. She twisted a pomegranate seed between two fingers as her eyes met Marshall's. "I'm sorry. Were these yours?"

He scowled at her, baring his teeth in the process. "Get out, Natalie. Now."

"Easy, your Highness. You don't want to stress yourself." Placing the fruit bowl back on the pedestal, she slid from the throne smoothly and lithely and strode to them with a sway in her hips. Her smile was a demon's smile: A tad bit cruel and very mischievous. "I couldn't help but hear your dilemma. Maybe I could help."

"I've got this, Nat. Fionna was just leaving."

"No way, dude!" the human exclaimed.

"Looks like you haven't got it. Which is why I'm here- To fix things the Nightosphere Prince can't handle." She extended a pale grey hand to Fionna. "We haven't really been properly introduced. I'm Natalie: Second in Command of the Vampire Kingdom."

Fionna wrapped her fingers around Natalie's palm. "I'm Fionna." And because she felt like she needed a formal title, added, "The human."

"So I've heard." She retrieved her hand from Fionna's and curled her arm around Marshall's. Her body leaned into him, and she placed her head against his shoulder. "Tell me, Marshall Lee. How much do you think human blood goes for on the market these days?"

"You call that helping?"

She grinned, her eyes locked on Fionna's with a manic pride. "Marshall, dear, what was I before I was a vampire?"

"A witch…"

"Then how about a little magic?" One green painted nail reached out and tapped Fionna's nose. It stung for just a second. Then a tingling sensation spread from it and wrapped around Fionna's body like heated ribbons suffocating her. Her eyes wrenched shut to cope with the claustrophobic feeling of losing air. A Magic Woman had cursed her once, and this felt similar. Sorcery, magic, it was all very uncomfortable, and she was glad when the sensation ended. With a hesitation, Fionna looked up to Natalie, then at Marshall.

Immediately, the Vampire King jerked away from Natalie, his eyes lighting red in fury and his teeth bared in threat. "What did you do?!"

Despite her former confidence, a note of doubt and nervousness crept into her voice. "Relax, Marshall. It's just an illusion spell. It's not real."

An illusion? Fionna glanced down at her hands- and saw, with a sudden shock, that they were a pale gray. Like Marshall's. Her jaw dropped, and she wiggled her fingers. "Oh. Whoa. Am I a vampire?"

"Illusion, sweetie," Natalie responded.

Marshall Lee floated to her. His fingers lightly touched her chin and lifted her face upward to the light. Immediately, his expression softened, his red eyes dulling to black once more. "She still feels human," he commented. "Smells it too."

"I can't help it if your girlfriend smells," the Vampire Witch said. "Give her some perfume and one of your old shirts. She'll be fine."

His hands dropped from Fionna's chin. "She's not my girlfriend."

"Do you mean that in the same way you mean I'm your fiancee?"

A painful nausea decided to settle in Fionna's stomach. "She's your fiancee?"

Marshall grinned suddenly, reclining back in the air as he did so. "So many girls want me. How can I keep track?"

Natalie smirked. With one lip lifted to show off a fang, it looked more like a threat instead. "It's an arranged marriage. All for show, sweetheart. I have no plans of marrying Marshall Lee Abadeer."

"Oh." She nibbled on her lip as she thought it over. "So it's a fake engagement."

"Something like that. I'm here to solve Marshall's problems."

The Vampire King scoffed. "Only because it benefits you."

Her eyes slowly slid to his, and a sly smirk played on her lips. "I am nothing if not loyal to my King. I solved this problem, didn't I?"

"I'm not sure you solved anything."

Fionna smiled up at the two, showing off her new faux fangs. "Does this mean I can fly?"

Marshall looked over at Natalie, who raised one thin eyebrow. "No," she answered dryly. "We'll need to get you a room since you'll be staying. Luckily, we have a massive mansion and only a few inhabitants. Marshall, you need to go meet with the law enforcement concerning the punishment of your criminals."

"That can wait," he said.

"It waited eight years, your highness. Fionna can wait on you this time." She stepped toward the exit, raising one hand and waving her green nails. "Follow me, vampire girl."

Glancing at Marshall, Fionna raised her shoulders in a shrug and followed after Natalie, leaving behind a very annoyed Vampire King.  
******************

Late that night, Marshall Lee sat on the red velvet decorated steps of his throne room. His fingers traveled gently along his bass, allowing a soft, unscripted melody to fill the air. The low hum of the strings calmed him, brought him zen, and cleared his mind.

And he definitely needed to refocus his thoughts. Fionna should never have arrived in the Vampire Kingdom. It was a place he kept locked away, safe from the bright Land of Aaa. Even the Nightosphere wouldn't claim his kingdom. And to rule it, he had to let his true demonic nature loose. To control the condemned, you have to be a little damned yourself. How could he let Fionna see that? Would it change her opinion of him?

And what would it matter if it did? She was the one that followed him there in the first place. He never asked her to. With that thought, something not altogether unpleasant spread through his chest. She followed him there. Because she was worried about him. Why did that seem like such an important gesture? No one had worried about him for years. It wasn't something he needed or even wanted. Caring got people hurt. Caring made good people turn into Ice Queens.

His fingers hit a sour note, and he winced, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You never play music when you're here," Natalie commented from the doorway. "Not unless something's bothering you."

Marshall frowned and strummed a melodic chord. "How long have you been there?"

She shrugged. "Not long. Permission to speak freely, my Lord?"

"Would it stop you if I said no?"

"Probably not." She walked to his side and sat beside him, folding her heels to the side elegantly. "What are you going to do with a human girl?"

"She's my friend," he answered immediately.

There was a pause, where both of them thought that answer over carefully. Then Natalie asked, "Have you ever tasted her blood, Marshall?"

He closed his eyes, annoyed. "No."

"Do you plan on it?"

"No."

"Can I?"

His eyes shot open, burning red with fury. "NO!"

Natalie smirked. "You like her." Her laugh was both melodic and sly. "Oh, that's fun. Does she like you?"

"Let me make this very clear, Natalie." There was a command in his voice that caused the smile to drain from her eyes. It was a tone he very rarely used, but one that nearly every royal had. Despite his light-hearted, devil-may-care attitude, Marshall Lee had power. And unlike the other royals in Aaa that owed that to their inherited titles, Marshall had fought for his and come out a little worse for wear. Those that questioned his authority realized their mistake too late. In that tone, he said, "While here, Fionna is under my protection. Do not hurt her. Do not put her in danger. A threat to her is a threat to me. If any harm comes to her, you will be blamed. You will watch after her, and _that_, Natalie, is an order. Do you understand?"

She swallowed and bowed her head low. "I understand, milord."

"Cool." And just like that, he returned to his typical, easy-going self.

Natalie let out a deep breath. She glanced to his profile, taking in the outline of his nose and the structure of his jaw. "You're a lot kinder than you used to be." Her hand tucked a stray lock of black hair behind his pointed ear. "You vanish for eight years and come back… kinder. Ididn't expect that."

Marshall shrugged.

"A Vampire King can not be kind," she said.

"I can be anything I want to be. I'm not defined by anyone's moral code. Whatever code I once had was lost long ago. It probably went up in flames with the Mushroom War."

"Hm. Either way, I look forward to seeing what laws you'll sign into effect tomorrow. With any luck, we won't have to bother with any more icky fighting."

"They can bring it on." He tilted his head and raised one shoulder. "I'm not worried."

Natalie stood, looking down at her king. "Maybe you should be, Marshall. There's always someone out there stronger than you."

With narrowed eyes, he grinned to show off his sharp teeth. "Is that a threat?"

"No, milord. It's an observation," she answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll get some rest." With a final bow, Natalie stepped out of the room, her high heels clicking along the hard, glossed floor.

Alone, Marshall strummed his guitar once more, sighed, then set it off to the side. It was getting late. Maybe he would go pay Fionna a visit once more before the sun rose…

**************************  
Fionna was not used to perfectly tidied closets or elaborate bed sheets that cost more than a year's worth of food or twelve different sized pillows made of silk atop a bed. She didn't know the proper etiquette when there were five towels inside the bathroom, and the one set atop the counter was folded in the shape of a seashell. Everything in the guest room seemed fragile, and Fionna was not used to that. When she touched things, they broke. It was her specialty, especially when the thing her hands landed on was the nose of a bad guy.

After sliding around in the slick silk bed sheets, getting tangled in the thick comforter, and drowning in a sea of pillows, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked about the room. The walls were a plain white that matched the flecks of perfectly crafted imperfections in the black marble floor. The carpet was a deep red, which matched the ruby flowers that sat in vases atop the countertops. And they were ruby in the most literal sense. Gem flowers: Very rare and even more expensive.

Making a wide radius around the flowers, Fionna padded barefoot to the sliding glass door, pushed it open, and stepped outside to the balcony. It was a cool night, and Fionna folded her arms around her chest. The stars were clearly visible, flickers of white in a black and crimson sky. Since there was a barrier between this world and the Nightosphere, she wondered if perhaps the red of the heavens was remaining residue from the similar shaded sky of its sister world.

Without even looking, Fionna knew when Marshall Lee landed soundlessly beside her.

"Sup?" he said.

Staring out over the hills and forests over the balcony railing, Fionna crinkled her nose up and frowned. "I don't think I like the Vampire Kingdom very much, Marshall."

"Eh, neither do I. Why do you think I'm always haunting your house? This place sucks."

"Then why be the Vampire King?"

He shrugged. "It's cheaper than a movie, and there's free coffee?" When she gave him a blank look, he sighed. "A wise woman one told me that everything happens for a reason. And maybe that's true and maybe it's a load of dog crud, but when she told me that, the world was falling apart, and it made sense. I just don't question reasons. Who cares, you know? Everyone's got their reasons. Maybe it's best not to know."

Fionna didn't know if she'd ever understand his reasoning for anything. He'd kicked her out of his house, forced her to be his personal slave, and tried to scare her sister half to death. Yet, at the end of the day, he called himself her friend. And she was risking her life for him…

She looked up, grinning a bunny-tooth grin, and said, "You kissed me."

He glanced at her sideways before looking away, smirking all the while. "Did I?"

She stood on tip toes, giving him a quick peck on his cheek. His eyebrows shot up, and he quickly turned back to her. Her face was down, her vampire grey cheeks were flushed in a deep blush.

Life never makes sense, and sometimes, reasons and intentions are never what we expected. But as he placed his hand around hers, he thought that maybe questioning why events happened was pointless. Maybe everything really did happen for a reason, and it was best not to ask why.

**************

NEXT CHAPTER: FIONNA THE VAMPIRE

A/N: You know, an original character in a fanfiction can either improve the story or destroy it. I'm hoping mine's the former. I like Natalie. I like writing her questionable motives and her relationship with Marshall.

The challenge in this chapter was creating the Vampire Realm and making it a completely new place with politics and dangers, while at the same time, grounding it in the Adventure Time mythos. I'm not sure I accomplished that, but hey, I do my best.

Please leave me a review, and thank you so much for your patience!


	10. Fionna the Vampire

Chapter 10: Fionna the Vampire

Cake the Cat was many things: Adventurous, protective, sometimes obnoxious, and very often loud. When Fionna went missing, all of these character traits morphed together and formed into a kitty rage the likes of which the world has never seen. Carrying with her a backpack full of supplies and weapons, she went on a search to find her lost sister. The Ice Kingdom was her first stop, and when the Ice Queen was equally confused about Fionna's location, Cake went down the list of enemies they'd encountered in their travels. At every location, the human girl was nowhere to be seen.

The only hints of Fionna's location were a pentagram circle and demon summoning book found in Cake's living room. There was only one demon that the cat knew of, and even the name made chills rush down her skin: Hannah Abadeer.

But why would Fionna contact Hannah? Maybe it wasn't that at all. Maybe Marshall Lee dragged her to the Nightosphere. The mere thought made Cake's tail frizz out. She KNEW Marshall Lee was bad news. Never trust a vampire!

Because going to the Nightosphere was the last place she wanted to be, Cake was stumped about what to do. So she went to the smartest guy in the Land of Aaa.

"Hey, PG," the cat announced, stepping into the large, ornate kitchen of the Candy ruler.

Gumball jumped, nearly dropping his pan of cupcakes. "You know, there's a doorbell to my kitchen for a reason."

"No time, boy, I have bad news."

His eyebrows drawing together, the Prince gingerly placed his cupcakes atop the dresser. "I'm listening."

"Fionna's been missing since this morning!" she blurted. "I've searched everywhere. In the sewers, the Ice Kingdom. I even went to the Catnip Plains, and I swear, PG, I didn't even look at the catnip. I'm worried sick."

Somewhere deep inside, Gumball knew that the blonde adventuress couldn't resist the opportunity for adventure after hearing about Marshall Lee's kingdom. Seeing a new land full of dangers and battles was right up her alley. "Glob it," he muttered. "She just couldn't stay put for once in her life."

Cake frowned at the Prince's reaction. "She went to Marshall Lee, didn't she?"

"Of course she did." He sat on a tall bar seat and pinched the bridge of his nose to get rid of the forming headache. "She doesn't understand how dangerous vampires are, especially to humans. Marshall's the only one she knows, and if she thinks they will all be as laid back as he is, she is sorely mistaken. This was not a battle for her to fight."

Not sure if she really wanted to know the answer, she reluctantly asked, "So how dangerous are we talking?"

"Very. They're evil creatures, Cake." He dropped his regal posture that had been ingrained in him since youth and slumped into his chair. "I think all of us underestimates how dangerous Marshall Lee could be if he was truly provoked to violence."

"Humph. He didn't seem that tough when we fought him the first time. Or when he fought his mom."

"I'm not entirely sure he was aiming to kill any of you during those times either." He shook his head. "Anyway, it's not him we have to worry about." The Prince paused and tilted his head as a thought occurred to him. "How did she even get to the Vampire Kingdom? It's been closed off to outsiders for Centuries."

Cake removed the Demon Summoning for Beginners tome from her tiny kitty backpack and handed it to the Candy Royal. "Well, this was left in our living room."

"Hm." With a frown, he dragged his fingers over the carved title before opening it to the index. He quickly scanned over the words, nervously swallowing as he did so. With a voice softer than a whisper, he breathed the name, "Hannah Abadeer."

"My thoughts exactly, PG." She watched as Gumball slowly closed the book and set it on the kitchen counter with trembling hands. "So what are we going to do?"

Gumball apprehensively licked his lips. He reached into his cabinet where he kept the condiments and retrieved a container of salt. "First we're going to draw a circle," he answered, his violet eyes heavy. "And then we're going to have a nice long talk with the Queen of the Nightosphere."

Fionna was drowning.

This was her first thought as she awoke in a sea of silk with a dozen pillows atop her head. After a brief bout of panic, she swam to the surface and breathed out a puff of air to get her bangs out of her face. The hundreds of dollars spent on that fine bedset was like a glamorous and kind way to kill someone. How evil… and appropriate of the Vampire Kingdom, she supposed.

Her long blonde hair was greasy and tangled from the hours of being shoved in a tiny white hat. She ruffled the messy locks, allowing them to fall into her face before throwing her head back to clear her vision. With a yawn, she headed to the bathroom.

Even though she knew of Natalie's illusion trick, it still shocked her to look in the mirror. Her skin was a pale ashy gray, and her eyes were no longer blue; They were black. She pulled back her lips to showcase her fangs, then laughed and twisted her face into a mock snarl. It didn't have quite the same effect that Marshall Lee's snarl had, so she tried to look scarier by making her eyes glow red like his did at times, but they remained the same deep black. Giving up on the monster faces for the time being, she touched her pointed ear and was surprised when her fingers went through the point and landed on a completely human-feeling ear. When her tongue tried to touch her pointed fangs, it was the same effect. She didn't really have vampire features; it was all an illusion.

A bit disappointed at that, Fionna began removing her shirt to take a shower.

And that's when she saw it. Positioned on the left side of her lower stomach was a black circular mark with designs in the center that reminded her of the Demon Summoning book she'd used in the tree house. The mark was slightly red around the edges like a fresh tattoo, and she dragged her fingers along it, then pressed to see if it would go away. It didn't. Panicking suddenly, she reached for a washcloth, ran warm water on it with a dab of hand soap, and scrubbed at the design.

Was this part of Natalie's illusion spell? Did vampires have marks like this? She'd seen Marshall Lee without a shirt, and he didn't have a mark on his stomach. Maybe his was in a place she'd never seen before.

Before that thought could get away with her, she tossed the washcloth on the sink and stared at the offending design. The lines and circular marks had to have a meaning… She'd drawn a similar circle to summon Hannah. Could it be related?

Breathing deeply and evenly to calm her nerves, she removed the rest of her clothing and stepped into the shower. The hot water ran over her mark in rivulets, but it remained as solid as ever. Maybe Marshall Lee would know how to get rid of it.

After finishing her shower and wringing the water out of her long hair, she twisted the damp locks into a towel atop her head and tied another large towel around her bare body. Her blue shirt and miniskirt still smelt of whatever ashy magic Hannah had used during the teleport, so she didn't particularly want to wear those. Maybe there would be some spare clothing in the closet. The palace seemed to have everything else.

Fionna took a few steps out of the bathroom into the main living area… And, with a shriek, came face to face with a stunned Vampire King. "What the flip, Marshall?!" she screamed, clutching the towel tighter around her body and slumping to cover herself.

With wide, round eyes, Marshall blinked in shock, swallowed, then spun around. "Wh-whatever, the window was open. I didn't expect you to be showering!" His voice was tinted with a note of desperation and a plea.

Fionna tucked a stray lock of bangs back into her towel turban, glaring holes into Marshall's back. "I didn't open the window."

"Well, it was open." Blindly, his hand darted out to the side and picked up a large purple gift box from the counter next to him. With a tone still defensive, he said, "I got you something."

Her eyebrows darted up. "What is it?"

"You have to open it, ya goof."

She cautiously took the gift from his outstretched hand. Marshall's gifts had a habit of being a bit… doubled edged and much more trouble than they were worth. She carefully eyed the mysterious looking box, which was decorated with tiny bats. "The last time you got me a gift, Marshall, it wasn't pajamas like you said. It was a tiny string thing."

"It was to sleep in," he said unhelpfully, his smile obvious in his tone. "Like Pajamas. Can I turn around?"

Fionna looked down to make sure she was covered, then answered with a reluctant, "I guess."

He spun around mid-air, tilted his head, and motioned to her purple bat box. "So open it already, hero."

Her fingers clutched onto the bat-shaped bow and pulled one wing to unwrap it. Within the box lay a folded blue fabric that was similar to silk. Fionna brushed her fingers along the soft fabric, then lifted it so the hem of the new dress fell neatly to her feet.

It was the same shade of her favorite shirt, a sky blue that matched her eyes. The front paneling was slit to reveal layers of white ruffles that flowed at her feet. It was all tied together with a large bow in the back.

Not knowing what to say, Fionna glanced up at a rather self-conscious Marshall Lee, who had his feet planted on the ground for once. At her silence, he shrugged and said, "If you don't like it, that's fine or whatever. There's some lame party thing, and they think my way of partying is too loud and improper for a King. I just figured you'd want something to wear so you don't look like a complete loser."

It was so uncharacteristic of him that Fionna looked down at the dress to make sure scorpions weren't going to crawl out from inside. It may have confused her less if there were. "But… I don't wear dresses."

"Then don't wear it. It's whatev." His hand reached out to take the dress.

She jerked it back tight against her body. "I didn't say I didn't want it, dude. It's kind of… perfect." Her wide eyes looked up at his. "Thank you, Marshall Lee."

The honesty of the comment made him uncomfortable, so he closed his eyes and kicked backward into the air. "Yeah, yeah," he said. "Don't make it weird."

As though suddenly remembering what she was wearing, she quickly covered herself with the new dress and announced, "I'm going to go change" before darting into the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Now, Fionna was not the type to worry about her body nor obsess over beauty nor purchase expensive makeup, but when she put on the dress and looked in the mirror, she was pleased with how she looked. The bow around her waist accentuated her figure and gave her the curves that she had seen on certain other women. Her long hair messily fell around her shoulders to frame her face. And as she turned to the side and posed in the mirror, the bright light of the bathroom mirrors turned her gray skin paler. If only Gumball could see her… She actually looked like a princess. Her lips curved into a sly grin. A vampire princess.

With one final snarl in the mirror for sheer monster effect, Fionna stepped out of the bathroom.

Marshall Lee was laying on her bed, eyes closed and humming a song softly to himself.

Fionna grinned widely at him. "Off my bed sheets, vampire!"

"Technically, they're my bed sheets," he responded. Then his eyes landed on her, and his expression blanked.

"What?" she said defensively. "I can wear a dress like other girls."

He blinked and floated into the air with his head low. "It looks good," he said.

"Thanks." She twisted her hair up and hid it within her white bunny hat. Only her bangs were visible and fell carelessly over one eye.

"So," Marshall said, extending an arm. "Ready to be Vampire Royalty."

Fionna gladly hooked her arm around his. "Bring it on!"

Fionna had been to Marshall Lee's parties before. She'd seen the lights flash across the faces of witches and spiked demons and fanged beasts as they raised their cups high in honor of the live rock band. There were times when Marshall told her to stay closer because some of the party-goers weren't one hundred percent trust worthy and were eyeing her hungrily. She'd even watched the guests separate into couples halfway through the night and seen the ghouls passed out from their high in the middle of the woods.

And all the while, Marshall Lee was in the midst of the crowds, mingling with the questionable demons and urging them to complete dares and singing for them when they thrust an instrument in his hands to coax a song out of him. The Vampire King kept dangerous company, and this was never more obvious than at his parties, where amongst the wilder underground of Aaa, he was respected- Not as a Vampire King, but as a Rock Star.

One look at the party in the Vampire Kingdom told her that this was very different. The music was soft and melodic. A large chandelier caught the light and sparkled in the middle of the large ballroom, and the guests wore slinky gowns and expensive tuxedos rather than ripped blue jeans and t-shirts.

Fionna crinkled her nose. "This looks like something Gumball threw together."

Marshall scoffed. "Politics are a different monster."

With his arm still wrapped around hers, they made their way through the crowd. Eyes landed on the two with polite and curt nods or bows towards the King, and it took Fionna a moment to translate their expressions. It was the same look that the citizens of the Nightosphere gave to his mother: Respect and fear with a note of distrust. But why would they feel that way toward Marshall? He wasn't anything like Hannah.

It wasn't long before Natalie spotted them from the corner of the room and immediately darted over. She carried in her hand a crystal glass of dark red liquid, which was held surprisingly still as she moved. Her glimmering, strapless green dress clung to her curves and every motion with a high split over her left leg showed a dangerous amount of skin. Fionna's dress suddenly seemed childish in comparison, and she felt her earlier pride deflate.

Natalie leaned toward Marshall's ear and practically hissed, "Where have you been?! You were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"It looks like this party kicked off to a killer start without me," he responded dryly.

With a roll of her black eyes, Natalie placed her hand on his shoulder and shoved him forward. "Mingle, your highness, before you really piss someone off."

Within a few steps, Marshall had already caught the attention of a tall vampire in a business suit, who bowed politely before smiling and starting up a conversation. Marshall took one final annoyed look back at them, and Fionna almost felt sorry for him.

And then it occurred to her that she was alone with Natalie. Satisfied that the King was doing his duty of socializing, the vampire witch glanced down to Fionna. "How about a bite to eat? To the snack bar?"

With a small nod of agreement, she followed Natalie through the ballroom. Without Marshall by her side, no one gave her a second glance.

The snack bar was filled with cakes and fruits and sweets in various shades of red. It wasn't until that moment that Fionna realized how hungry she was. She eagerly snatched up a mini plate and began piling it with fruits. The strawberry she bit into was particularly sweet, and she tossed a cherry into her mouth to see if it was the same.

She glanced up to see Natalie eyeing her. Swallowing down the cherry, she lowered the plate and primly straightened her spine to look more refined.

Natalie raised one eyebrow and looked out over the crowds, sipping the contents of her glass as she did so. "Nice dress."

"Thanks. Marshall got it for me."

Natalie glanced at her again, then shook her head and turned back to the ballroom. "God, he takes after his mother in the weirdest ways."

For the life of her, Fionna could not see how Marshall was anything like Hannah. "How so?"

"You know. With the whole father fiasco."

At her blank look, Natalie's eyes widened. "Oh, wow, you really don't know, do you? Who his dad was? Do you know anything about Marshall Lee at all?"

The question made her feel uncomfortable. Five years had passed since she first met the Vampire King, but what did she know about him? About his past, his family, his heritage? It was very rare that he discussed anything about his past, but it was abundantly clear that he couldn't escape it; that it always came back to haunt him. Even after all these years, he still managed to have old ghosts find their way into his life. How many more secrets could he have?

Suddenly depressed, Fionna asked, "Who was his dad?"

Natalie shrugged. "Just some guy that caught the attention of the Demon Queen."

Just some guy… There was more to it than that. Fionna was sure of it, but Natalie already had her attention on two young-looking vampires nearby.

"Some king he is," said one of them- a witch, by the looks of it, with shaggy blonde hair. She pointed toward the crowds with a wave of her wine glass. "He shows up every so often to make rules and then vanishes to the outside lands. And no one can seem to take the crown from him. Did you see what happened to the last guy?"

Her partner frowned. This one was a vampire- buzz-cut black hair and a round face. "I'd like to challenge him. I'd be a better king than he ever was."

"You should find better subjects of conversation," Natalie interrupted, her voice soft and piercing. She smiled at them above the rim of her glass with eyes that gleamed menacingly. "Rather than ones that reek so much of betrayal."

"And who are you?" the vampire demanded.

Without missing a beat, she responded, "I'm Natalie. Second in Command of the Vampire Kingdom, Fiancée to the King, and Forest Witch Royalty. Now who the fuck are you?"

The two blinked in surprise. It was the witch that responded, her voice full of distrust. "Just an observer, ma'am." With a bow, the two quietly wandered back into the crowds.

"Ugh," Natalie said to Fionna, touching the bridge of her nose with her forefingers. "This place is full of idiots. You'll be fine if I go socialize, won't you? You won't do something stupid?"

Fionna, Queen of Stupid, said, "I'll just stay here till Marshall's done."

"Fantastic. Call me if you need anything." With a graceful wave of her hand, Natalie was gone.

Fionna sighed, tossed her plate into a nearby trash can, and leaned back against the nearby wall. From her location there, she could see Marshall Lee talking to three attractive demon girls. They each wore form-fitting dresses that were low cut and showed off a generous amount of cleavage. She glanced down at her own chest, frowned, and adjusted the gown to hang slightly lower. Still not satisfied with the effect, she returned her gaze to the three. One had her arm wrapped around Marshall's and another was handing him a crystal glass of red wine. And Marshall Lee was laughing with them.

Dammit, what was Fionna even doing there? It wasn't like she was in her element anymore. What was she expecting? A fight? The Vampire King to actually have romantic feelings for her and sweep her off her feet? Of COURSE Marshall had kissed her. Because she was a girl, like every other trophy female that hung on his arms at parties. The entire idea of being just another number to add to his collection disgusted her, so she growled to herself, crossed her arms, and resisted the urge to smash her fist into a passing mustachioed vampire in a top hat.

Marshall Lee spotted her from across the room, and his smile faltered. Without saying a word to the three disappointed girls, he headed her way.

"Yo," he said to her. "Enjoying the party?"

"It's fine," she answered with a slight pout. To keep from looking at him, she spun around to the bowl of red punch and quietly dipped a quantity into a glass of her own.

"If you wanted to spend time with me, Fi, you could have just asked." His low voice was near her ear and made a chill flutter over her spine.

"Who said I wanted to spend time with you?" she replied.

She lifted the glass to take a drink, but before it could touch her lips, Marshall snatched it out of her hand and replaced it with the glass he was holding. "Don't drink that," he said.

The glass she suddenly had in her hand contained a more transparent red liquid than the one Marshall took. She raised an eyebrow quizzically, but took a sip anyway. It was powerfully bitter and sweet. Not quite expecting it to house such a kick, she dove into a coughing fit. "What is that?" she gritted out, squinting at the drink through watery eyes.

Marshall laughed. "Have you never tasted wine before, Fionna?"

"Yes!" she responded with a little too much conviction to be true. "All the time." To prove her point, she took a large drink of her wine and suppressed a shudder.

With a fond small, Marshall looked down at his own glass. The liquid it contained was darker and thicker than Fionna's, and it clung heavily to the clear glass. He tentatively smelled it, which caused his smile to fade and his eyes to darken considerably. His Adam's Apple bobbed as he swallowed, then after a thoughtful moment, he took a tiny sip. His eyes closing briefly to savor the flavor. He sipped once more at the drink before placing the glass on a tray of a passing server.

After the fourth taste of her wine, Fionna decided that it really wasn't so bad once she got used to it. By the eighth drink, she came to the conclusion that she was quite fond of it after all and downed the remainder of the glass. Her head felt pleasantly fuzzy, and the ballroom swirled along with the dancers on the floor. Because it felt like such a good idea (and because her balance swayed very slightly), she curled her hand around Marshall Lee's.

His hand tightened around hers. "Do you feel like dancing?"

The world was dancing, and she was spinning with it.

Now, it was no small secret that Fionna had no sense of grace and two left feet, but as Marshall pulled her onto the dance floor, she didn't care. She didn't care that she wasn't a real vampire princess nor that the other girls had much curvier bodies than her. She didn't care that Marshall was her best friend and a bit of a womanizer, and that perhaps they were globbing everything up, one touch at a time. When he placed one hand on the small of her back and clutched her palm with the other, her heart, drunk on expensive wine, lifted like helium into her throat.

It didn't surprise her to learn that Marshall knew how to slow dance well. He'd had a thousand years of practice, and it only made her clumsiness stand out. Her feet tangled in his, her movements were jagged, and she didn't know how to twist her arms when she spun around. However, all of these things just made her giggle. After a particularly awkward twirl, she collapsed into him, head resting against his chest. She grinned, tightening her arm around his back. He smelled like autumn evenings and strawberries and pine trees with a touch of demon magic. It was a weird combination that was very perfectly Marshall Lee.

His hand drifted upward, between her shoulder blades. His voice was soft and deep as he whispered in her ear, "You're a little tipsy, Fionna."

"N'I'm not," she responded.

He spun her around once more, his feet lifting off the ground by force of habit, and ended the song by lowering her into a classic dip. Her entire weight was supported by his one arm, and the other hand was still entangled in hers.

According to legend, vampires had hypnotic abilities. Staring into Marshall Lee's soft eyes then, Fionna suddenly believed that it was true. She couldn't look away and wasn't even sure she wanted to. Her gaze flickered to his lips, and she wanted then, more than anything, for him to kiss her like he had back at the stadium. Her head lifted very slightly, and she could feel his cool breath against her skin.

And then a pale grey hand highlighted with green nails clutched onto his shoulder and pulled him upright. The sudden movement snapped Fionna back to reality. It occurred to her just then that they had an audience. The party-goers had formed a small circle around them and were whispering conspiratorially to each other. Feeling exposed, she uncomfortably crossed her arms over her chest.

Natalie glared at Marshall Lee with piercing eyes. "How about a dance, my love?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Marshall glanced at Fionna for a slight millisecond, disappointment flashing so fast through his black eyes that it was hardly even there, before holding out his hand for his faux fiancée.

Fionna ignored the stares of monsters and vampires as she stepped back into the crowds. It didn't surprise her to learn that Natalie was an expert dancer and could meet Marshall's movements with professional precision. Her dress flared out above her feet in an effortless spin, her arm held out gracefully, before returning once more to her partner's embrace. They moved fluidly in a dizzying dance of spins and foot steps and elegance. And not for the first time that night, Fionna felt rejected. Should she just give herself a number? Marshall Lee's Woman Number 856. At least Natalie could dance.

As the song ended with a flourish, Natalie pressed her lips tightly against Marshall's, her fingers tangling in his messy black hair. His eyes closed in acceptance.

The sudden kiss made Fionna wince like she had been punched, and it certainly felt like she had. It was just part of their ruse, she told herself. There were no feelings involved… right? Wouldn't a simple dance do?

The kiss ended as quickly as it began, and both Marshall and Natalie turned to their audience with bows.

Fionna needed to think, but her head was still fuzzy and her thoughts felt like images painted on clouds. She found herself moving toward the corner of the room like a zombie.

She didn't even realize Marshall had followed her until he spoke. "Remind me to plan the next party here. This blows."

Did he not notice how the kiss affected her? Did he even care? "I thought the vampires would be more like you," she said.

"Fionna, babe, the world couldn't handle that sort of awesomeness." He shot her an award-winning smirk. Her eyes rolled at his exaggeration.

Now that he had made an appearance, very few seemed willing to talk to the Vampire King. So it was surprising when the trash-talking vampire from earlier stepped up to the two. "King Abadeer. I've heard a great deal about you."

"Everyone has," he answered smoothly. "And I prefer Marshall Lee."

"Trying to separate yourself from that mother of yours, I see." There was something cutting about his gaze and false genial expression.

Marshall didn't answer, but his jaw clenched, and his eyes narrowed.

"There has been a great deal of discussion about that law you resigned into effect the other week. I can't say that I'm particularly pleased with it."

Marshall grinned, and it was full of razor sharp teeth and resembled a warning more than anything else. "It's worked for the past eight years. Why change what wasn't broke?"

"What was working about it? The stifling of your subjects, oh, great King? The refusal to expand our lands? You're a much worse ruler than Hannah Abadeer has ever been."

"Hannah has never ruled the Vampire Kingdom."

"No, nor will she ever because her son is too much of a coward to ever stand up to his birthright and claim his rightful title as King of the Nightosphere. No, the grand Prince must take the Vampire Kingdom instead."

Marshall's feet quietly landed on the ground. Even though he didn't say anything, Fionna could feel the anger radiating from him and the sudden drop in temperature. In an attempt to calm him, she wrapped her arm around his. His muscles were tense, and she glanced up at his face. Even though he wore the same eerie smile, his eyes were entirely black. "Hey, Marsh, don't worry about it," she said. "He's just trying to piss you off."

"I guess I couldn't expect much from a descendent of Hannah Abadeer," the vampire said. "She did choose a human for a mate after all, and we all know what happened to that race…"

Before Fionna could register the movement, Marshall Lee was gone from her grasp, and his absence made her wobble to regain her balance. He was already high in the air, his hands wrapped tightly around the other man's throat. The gentleman had blood pouring from his nose, and he struggled to pry Marshall's fingers away. A few surprised gasps emerged from the crowds as the ballroom fell to silence.

"I've lived through the greatest War that ever was," Marshall said, bearing his sharp teeth in a fatal threat. "The war that ended half of this world and mutated the other half. You think I'm going to let some little idiot mess this up and start history all over again?" His grip tightened, and the other vampire clawed at his hand. "You don't know what you're getting into. You don't know what war is."

"Then how about I find out?" the vampire choked out. "I issue you a challenge, Marshall Lee Abadeer. For your crown and the right to start as many battles as I please."

A flicker of surprise flashed through Marshall's face, and he loosened his grip on the other man's neck.

"You say you've seen war," the other man gritted out, smirking despite his situation. "Then show me. Relive it on the battlefield with your crown on the line, you childish prick."

Without warning, Marshall released him, allowing his body to hit the floor harshly. "You got it. Tomorrow night then? My place?"

The blonde witch from earlier rushed to her fallen comrade and fell to her knees beside him. She clutched onto his arm and looked up in obvious hatred at Marshall.

"Whenever and wherever you want to die," the vampire answered.

At some point during the exchange, Natalie had stood beside Fionna. "Dammit," she whispered. "I thought we were done with this."

"What's going to happen?" Fionna asked, glancing up at the black-haired vampire.

"They're going to fight tomorrow," Natalie answered. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. "And one of them is going to die."  
*********************

NEXT CHAPTER: THE PRINCE'S GUIDE TO DEMON SUMMONING

_(A/N: Originally, there was another part to this chapter, but I felt like too much happened in it anyway. So it'll be put in the next chapter!_

_Is Gumball going to summon Hannah Abadeer? What is the mysterious mark on Fionna's stomach? What are Natalie's intentions? Why did Marshall switch glasses with Fionna? And will Marshall survive the challenge?_

_I love predictions, so guess away!_  
_And lots of fluff next chapter too. Lots. You're going to vomit rainbows.)_


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